Chapter 126: Becoming a Demon, Solely for Protection!

The moment Scorpion raised his gun, Ren Qianxing, who was closest to Lin Fan, instantly shielded him. Another man, Xu Qiang, moved in perfect unison to do the same.

Within Dragon Soul, Ren Qianxing was the one Lin Fan felt most guilty toward. His heart was always filled with remorse and self-reproach regarding him.

Lin Fan clearly remembered that great battle when Purgatory Angels attacked Dragon Soul. He had been poisoned; although Ruxue had used a very small dose, the drug was so potent that Lin Fan’s body felt incredibly exhausted, and his movements were agonizingly slow.

The leader of the opposing force had a handsome face, but his voice was eerie and sinister. He kept aiming for lethal strikes against Lin Fan. Lin Fan knew that if the drug's effects didn't wear off, he couldn't defeat his opponent. Yet, he forced himself to stay upright, knowing he could not fall—he was the leader of Dragon Soul, the Grim Reaper who held the power of life and death over others.

At the critical moment, Ren Qianxing arrived from outside just in time, planting himself firmly in front of Lin Fan. There were no flowery words, only a cold face, eyes filled with determination, and a sturdy dagger. Multiple times, Lin Fan tried to force him away by threatening to die, but Ren Qianxing would not budge.

In fact, when the man in black first appeared earlier, Lin Fan had suspected he was the same leader from the Purgatory Angels' attack. Unfortunately, the man was masked, and Lin Fan could not be certain.

Ren Qianxing fought to the death, sustaining eight blade wounds. The leader seemed intent on prolonging his suffering, choosing to cripple Ren’s left arm right in front of Lin Fan, crushing the joint with his bare hands. Ren Qianxing bit his lip, refusing to let out a sound. He didn't want Lin Fan to worry; he was a member of Dragon Soul, a brother to the Grim Reaper. He refused to bring shame to Dragon Soul, choosing to die standing rather than live on his knees.

Although Ren Qianxing’s left arm looked normal today, Lin Fan knew it was effectively a prop, devoid of any strength—it was essentially useless.

Watching his brother’s blood drench his entire body, seeing that bloodied arm as he collapsed into his arms, Lin Fan felt a sense of utter powerlessness. It was only the second time in his life he had felt this way. The first was when he watched his mother die with a smile on her face, and the second was watching Ren Qianxing fight to the death while he, as the leader of Dragon Soul and his brother, could do nothing to help.

It wasn't just Lin Fan; the others in Dragon Soul were also suffering from the poison, most of them half-collapsed on the ground. Ren Qianxing eventually slumped to the floor beside Lin Fan. Seeing that the poison had cleared from Lin Fan’s system, a faint smile touched his lips as he whispered, "Boss, the mission of the Army Breaker star is to transform into a demon, solely for protection. I don't know if I succeeded, but don't let your brother down. We... we shall be brothers again in the next life."

Looking at that fallen form, Lin Fan had truly believed Ren Qianxing was dead. Tears streamed down his face as he charged into the crowd like a madman, slaughtering everyone in his path. Ultimately, under Lin Fan’s leadership, Dragon Soul managed to hold off the Purgatory Angels, though they suffered heavy casualties. It had been a meticulously planned ambush, and Dragon Soul had been caught completely unprepared, the greatest variable being Ling Xue’s betrayal.

For a soldier, a mercenary living under constant threat, losing an arm often meant losing one's life. Yet, relying on an iron will to survive, Ren Qianxing lived. The first thing he said upon waking was, "It’s just an arm. Without it, I still won't lose to anyone." And he kept his word—even without his left arm, his mastery of the dagger remained peerless, and he was second to none in Dragon Soul when it came to close-quarters combat.

After Ren recovered, Lin Fan no longer sent him on dangerous missions, instead transferring him to his sister’s side to be responsible for Lin Yan’s safety.

As for Xu Qiang, they had been brothers since their days in Falcon. Having known him for so many years, Lin Fan understood his mindset. Though he wanted to tell him not to always put himself first, Lin Fan knew that with Xu Qiang’s personality, it would likely be in vain.

Seeing Xu Qiang mirror his own actions, Ren Qianxing nodded at him. Everything was understood without words; they both knew what the other intended.

Lin Fan smiled helplessly, looked at the two, and said softly, "It's fine. You two step aside."

The two glanced at the frantic Scorpion, nodded, and retreated to the sides.

Seeing Lin Fan standing not far from the muzzle of his gun, Scorpion clearly regained some of his confidence. However, he also realized that if he pulled the trigger, he would never walk out of here alive. Now alone, he could only rely on his pistol to intimidate Lin Fan. "Stay right there! If you dare move another step, I'll blow your brains out!" Scorpion said, trying his best to remain calm.

The distance between them was not great. Lin Fan was confident that even if the man fired, he could avoid a lethal hit and take Scorpion down. Of course, sustaining some injury was possible. With a cold snort, Lin Fan said, "In this world, the thing I hate most is someone pointing a gun at me. No one dares to aim at my head. Do you know why? Because they are all dead." With that, Lin Fan began to walk slowly toward Scorpion.

"Stop! I said stop! If you come any closer, I'm really going to shoot!" Scorpion said nervously. His palms were slick with sweat, and he dared not meet Lin Fan’s eyes. It wasn't that he hadn't fired a gun or killed someone before, but for some reason, facing Lin Fan, he felt an overwhelming pressure, and his hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

"By the way, I forgot to tell you: guns aren't meant for pointing—they're meant for killing," Lin Fan said, a faint, wicked smirk playing on his lips, his tone laced with amusement.

"Don't push me! I said don't push me!" Faced with Lin Fan’s pressure, Scorpion felt he was on the verge of a breakdown. He shook his head incessantly, and as Lin Fan continued to approach, he actually began to retreat, trembling as he held the gun.

Lin Fan was now almost certain that Scorpion had been coerced or bribed by the Purgatory Angels into setting the trap to capture Li Nanxing. Of course, he would have to extract the details from Scorpion, which was the only reason he was temporarily sparing his life. Had it not been for that, Scorpion would have died countless times over by now.

Sweat poured down Scorpion’s forehead. Clearly intimidated by Lin Fan, his finger twitched slightly on the trigger.

"Don't force me! I don't want to die, I really don't want to die!" As Scorpion’s mental defenses completely collapsed, a dazzling flash of silver light streaked from behind Lin Fan. A miserable scream followed, and the pistol clattered to the ground...