Chapter 124: Purgatory Reborn

"I never would have thought that the formidable leader of the Dragon Soul, Death God Lin Fan, would actually be afraid there might be an ambush inside. If this gets out, won't everyone laugh themselves silly?" The voice of the man in black was low, but it was loud enough for Lin Fan and Mo Fei to hear.

Lin Fan’s face darkened. It seemed he had been watched from the moment he entered. The other party knew his every move in such detail. To be honest, he despised the feeling of being controlled by someone else.

Hearing this, Mo Fei and Li Nanxing were immediately infuriated and wanted to attack, but Lin Fan stopped them with a single glance. "Who exactly are you?" Lin Fan asked, standing his ground.

"Heh, who am I? Haven’t we already met? If Ling Xue hadn’t betrayed the Purgatory Angels back then, do you think the Star Soul would still exist? Without Star Soul, Dragon Soul is nothing but a scattered mess with no leader," the man in black said with a chilling laugh.

In truth, Ling Xue had long been a pawn planted by the Purgatory Angels within the Dragon Soul. She had deceived everyone, including Han Feng. Later, due to her outstanding performance, Han Feng selected her into the elite group of eight known as Star Soul. Essentially, the Dragon Soul’s top echelon had formed another organization called Star Soul. To outsiders, Star Soul and Dragon Soul appeared as two unrelated groups, but Lin Fan and his comrades knew that Ling Xue’s induction into Star Soul meant entry into the Dragon Soul’s core.

About a year ago, Ling Xue betrayed the Dragon Soul, which had just dominated the mercenary world, drawing the wrath of a mysterious force. Through Tan Zhiyong’s investigation, this force was confirmed as the Purgatory Angels.

That battle caused heavy casualties among Dragon Soul’s brothers. Beforehand, the Purgatory Angels had tasked Ling Xue with poisoning the other seven members of Star Soul. Without Star Soul, the rest of Dragon Soul would be fragmented. Unexpectedly, Ling Xue’s relationship with Lin Fan had just deepened at that time, and having stayed with Dragon Soul for so long, she still harbored some feelings toward them. Thus, she administered the poison in a lighter dose.

Ling Xue was a crucial piece in the Purgatory Angels’ plan. Yet, because of Lin Fan’s presence, the outcome of the battle remained uncertain. In the end, Dragon Soul barely repelled the Purgatory Angels thanks to their numerical advantage, but suffered massive losses.

Lin Fan didn’t know all the details—many things were internal to the Purgatory Angels—but everyone who had fought that day knew this one fact: Ling Xue had betrayed Dragon Soul, and by their code, traitors must die.

Such a familiar name. After so long, hearing Ling Xue’s name again made Lin Fan’s heart tremble. He never imagined she truly was an undercover agent sent by the Purgatory Angels into Dragon Soul.

Suppressing his emotions, Lin Fan’s lips curled slightly as he looked at the man in black. "Just because you Purgatory Angels say so, you think you can wipe out Dragon Soul? That’s laughable."

In Lin Fan’s view, Dragon Soul was still the overlord of the mercenary world, and after a year of growth, their influence was expanding. They wouldn't be destroyed just because someone said so.

"Don’t worry, Death God, our game is only just beginning. There’s plenty of time ahead. Hopefully, next time we meet, your skills will have improved," the man in black laughed wildly.

Lin Fan sneered and stepped forward, shouting, "Since you came, you’re not leaving."

"What do you want? You think you can keep me here?" The man’s eyes remained amused, but Lin Fan saw the fanaticism and disdain lurking behind that smile.

"Because you killed so many of my brothers, you must pay the price." Though masked, Lin Fan was certain this man had taken part in that attack on Dragon Soul. Thinking of his fallen comrades, his eyes reddened as he fixed his furious gaze on the figure before him like a raging beast.

"I'm in a good mood today—not looking to kill. You should deal with what’s in front of you first. Ling Xue is already dead. Let’s see who else can help you next time," the man said, then sped off into the distance.

Dead? Lin Fan’s heart was suddenly pricked as if stabbed by a needle. In that brief moment, the man had already vanished far away. "Damn it," Lin Fan cursed angrily. The man had clearly used his feelings for Ling Xue to distract him.

"Don’t worry, we’ll meet again. If you hand over the Purple Sword, I might consider sparing your life," the man’s indifferent voice drifted from afar.

The Purple Sword—again the Purple Sword! Lin Fan’s fury surged. The Purgatory Angels were deeply intertwined with his past. Beyond the hatred between them and Dragon Soul, their attempt to seize the Purple Sword was tied to the truth behind his parents’ death. His fingers clenched so tightly his knuckles whitened. He etched the name of this organization deeply into his mind.

Seeing Lin Fan’s reaction, Mo Fei and Li Nanxing remained silent, wary of provoking him now. But inside, Lin Fan was unusually calm. He had lost that fist clash clearly, and he knew chasing after the man might not guarantee capture. The man didn’t want to get entangled, so trying to hold or kill him would be even harder. It was better to deal with the matter at hand first.

Lin Fan had made up his mind: as long as he lived, the war between Dragon Soul and the Purgatory Angels would be a fight to the death. Only one could exist in this world. He believed victory would belong to himself and his brothers. He vowed to avenge those Dragon Soul brothers who died at the hands of the Purgatory Angels. The dignity of Dragon Soul could not be trampled by any organization—not even the Heavenly King himself!

"Boss, are you alright?" Seeing Lin Fan’s composure return, Mo Fei and Li Nanxing hurried forward to ask.

"I'm fine. Let’s handle the current situation first; the rest can wait," Lin Fan said calmly. Only a few minutes had passed since the man in black appeared. Although the scene seemed quiet, someone should have come by to check—yet there was no one.

Seeing Lin Fan lead the way, Mo Fei and Li Nanxing quickly followed. "How could Xue’er be dead?" Mo Fei muttered softly from behind.

Li Nanxing glanced at Lin Fan’s back and, seeing nothing unusual, signaled Mo Fei to keep quiet.

Lin Fan’s keen hearing did not miss Mo Fei’s words. He feigned calmness only to avoid worrying his brothers. When the man in black said Ling Xue was dead, Lin Fan had quietly asked himself the same question. Unfortunately, no one could give him an answer.

P.S. There is one regret—that I don’t know how many readers there truly are. I do know there are some, but not exactly how many. I’m deeply grateful for your ongoing support. I won’t let you down, and neither will this story.