Chapter 123: Ling Xue and the Man in Black

Lin Fan suppressed the excitement in his heart and glanced at Mo Fei. Understanding the signal, Mo Fei immediately submerged into the water, using his carry-on dagger to sever the ropes. Lin Fan hurriedly steadied Li Nanxing and asked, "Are you alright? Can you walk?"

"I can," Li Nanxing replied firmly, without a moment's hesitation. However, as he took a step, his legs gave way; had Lin Fan not caught him in time, he would have collapsed into the water. "I was bound for too long. The lack of circulation in my body is making it hard to adjust," Li Nanxing explained.

"Boss, I'm sorry. I've brought shame upon the Dragon Soul," Li Nanxing said, filled with guilt.

"Enough. This is not your fault," Lin Fan said, his eyes radiating undisguised murderous intent. He signaled Mo Fei to brief Li Nanxing on the situation.

On the way out of the dungeon, Mo Fei gave Li Nanxing a brief account of Tan Zhiyong’s investigation. Once he understood the full picture, Li Nanxing said coldly, "Boss, I want to kill them."

"Don't worry. We brothers will surely avenge you. For now, let’s go rendezvous with Zhang Lei and the others," Lin Fan said. He couldn't shake the feeling that rescuing Li Nanxing had been far too easy. He felt as if someone were watching him from the shadows, yet every time he turned back, he saw nothing but darkness.

Li Nanxing nodded silently. Having been filled in by Mo Fei, he knew this was a targeted strike against the Dragon Soul, so regrouping was the wisest course of action.

Upon reaching the fence on the west side, Lin Fan instructed, "Mo Fei, take Nanxing and go ahead. I’ll go to support Zhang Lei and the Dragon Soul brothers. Use the sound of gunfire as a signal. We’ll quickly take out the guards at the north gate and the drug stash. You all provide cover. Furthermore, you and Qiangzi must ensure Scorpion doesn't escape. Any questions?" Scorpion was the employer and the man Li Nanxing was meant to assassinate; all the leads converged on him, and Lin Fan could not let him slip away.

"No," Mo Fei replied.

"Boss, I'm not leaving. I can join the fight. The insults I've endured these past few days must be washed away with the enemy's blood," Li Nanxing insisted.

Lin Fan looked at him and, seeing his resolute expression, nodded. "Mo Fei, give him your gun."

Mo Fei unslung his assault rifle and handed it over, squeezing Li Nanxing’s shoulder firmly—a gesture that spoke volumes.

"Mo Fei, stay with Nanxing. Take out the guards on the watchtower first. I’ll go link up with Zhang Lei and the others, then we’ll meet at the north gate. Tell Qiangzi to keep a close eye on Scorpion. We must capture him—alive. Do you understand?" Lin Fan’s phoenix eyes, shadowed by his bangs, flashed with intense killing intent.

"Understood," Mo Fei replied.

Although the enemy seemed to have set no ambush, Lin Fan, having walked the line of death many times, felt a strange intuition that this mission would not go smoothly. Ever since he entered the dungeon, he had felt that pair of eyes tracking him.

"Little sister, look. It seems he’s discovered us," said a young man in black standing on a nearby hillside. He looked at Lin Fan, who was scanning the area, a playful smirk on his lips. His voice was chillingly cold, as if it had come from an ice cellar. From Lin Fan’s perspective, the hill was shrouded in pitch darkness, but the man was equipped with a device similar to a thermal scope, allowing him to observe every move Lin Fan made.

Seeing that Ling Xue remained silent, the young man’s eyes flashed with a cold, stern light. "Little sister, I’m going to go pay him a visit. You don't have any objections, do you? If you don't speak up, you know the consequences of provoking me."

Ling Xue seemed terrified of her elder brother. She shuddered and lowered her head. "No... no objections. I have nothing to do with him anymore. Even if you kill him, it’s none of my business."

The young man’s playful demeanor returned instantly. He patted Ling Xue’s shoulder and said, "That’s right. If it weren't for the fact that the organization raised you from a child, you would have died countless times since you betrayed Purgatory Angel. So, this time, we are going to have some real fun with the Dragon Soul. What happened last time must never happen again." As he finished, his aura surged, an invisible pressure bearing down on Ling Xue.

"I... I understand, Big Brother," Ling Xue trembled, as if her brother were a demon from hell.

With a cold snort, the young man bolted toward Lin Fan’s position. At that moment, Lin Fan and Mo Fei were on their way to rendezvous with Zhang Lei.

Suddenly, hearing the sound of a fist slicing through the air behind him, Lin Fan didn't hesitate; he shoved Mo Fei aside, sending Li Nanxing tumbling with him. Lin Fan spun around, his right hand balled into a fist, striking out with fluid, unwavering force.

The man was the one Ling Xue called Big Brother. Clad in black and blending into the night, only his sharp, glowing eyes were visible above his mask, making him impossible to identify.

Mo Fei’s face turned grim. He hadn't even sensed anyone nearby, which meant the assailant’s skills were extraordinary.

Without hesitation, Mo Fei whipped out three throwing knives at the man in black. The attacker, as if anticipating the move, dodged with a side-step. Had one been able to see his expression, they would have seen a look of disdain and mockery, as if he viewed Mo Fei’s "tricks" as beneath him. He didn't slow his strike, aiming directly for Lin Fan.

Lin Fan stared into the man’s eyes, hoping to glean something, but was met only with a look of playful, fanatical intensity—no true murderous intent.

"Boom!" The two collided with raw, primitive power, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Lin Fan took a few steps back to stabilize himself, while the man in black barely retreated half a step. Lin Fan felt a wave of frustration. He had channeled the internal energy of the Yanqing Fist into that strike, which was far more lethal than standard strikes, yet the man had absorbed it with ease. It was clear the man’s combat prowess was exceptional.

"You’ve finally arrived. I thought you didn't care about your brother’s life. But it’s been a while, and your skills haven't improved much," the man in black said with utter contempt, his eyes filled with a playful, predatory gaze, as if Lin Fan were nothing but a toy.