Chapter 93: Star Soul vs. Blood Reaper

Although Fu Tian was already approaching fifty, he was still the leader of the Hong Gang. Though his reactions had slowed with age, his moves remained steady and unflustered. Yet the Bloodkill assassin was no amateur; his attacks were fierce and merciless. After only a few exchanges, Fu Tian's body was sent flying heavily to the ground.

"You are a true man. I will let you die without pain," the man with the black veil said as he slowly approached the fallen Fu Tian, knife in hand.

Fu Tian closed his eyes gently—there was not a trace of fear. Instead, a faint smile appeared on his face, a sense of release. He had always believed that he had forced his sworn brother to his death. Now that he himself was dying, perhaps this was the reckoning he deserved.

Seeing Fu Tian's expression, Lin Fan was almost certain that he bore some unspeakable burden. To face death with such tranquility was not something everyone could manage.

A sudden bang shattered the silence; Fu Tian opened his eyes in astonishment. He saw a young man standing with his back to him, silhouetted in the moonlight. From the shadow cast upon the ground, Fu Tian noticed the youth also wore a black veil—but unlike the Bloodkill assassin, there was no conspicuous blood-red "Kill" character emblazoned on it.

The Bloodkill man had collapsed, his veil fallen aside, blood at the corner of his lips as he slowly rose from the ground.

Just moments before, as the assassin made his move, Lin Fan had intervened to save Fu Tian. There was, of course, Zhao Ying's influence in his decision, but Fu Tian's final smile told Lin Fan that death, for him, was a release.

Thus, Lin Fan acted. He darted forward and smashed a fist into the back of the assassin's head. The man, caught unaware, felt the rush of air and was forced to abandon his attempt to kill Fu Tian, narrowly dodging the blow. He spun around, slashing his dagger at Lin Fan's throat.

But Lin Fan, seemingly expecting such a move, deftly avoided the blade. His fingers curled into a claw, and with a swift Yanching grappling technique, seized the assassin's wrist. Lunging forward, Lin Fan drove his elbow hard into the man's chest, sending him flying.

Knowing the man was from Bloodkill, Lin Fan had held back—his elbow struck just above the chest, sparing the ribs. Otherwise, the assassin would have had several broken bones, perhaps even died from shock, and certainly wouldn't have stood back up.

The Bloodkill member wiped the blood from his lips and replaced his veil. For an assassin, exposing one's face was dangerous, a disgrace. Once he had composed himself, he stood quietly, his gaze at Lin Fan filled with hostility.

"I know that when a black card is issued, someone must die," Lin Fan said quietly, "but for my sake, let this matter rest here."

"You seem to be of the underworld yourself. You should know our rules—it's impossible. Once the black card is delivered, our target cannot live," the veiled man's voice was cold and steely. He knew Lin Fan was likely his superior in skill, but he refused to tarnish Bloodkill's reputation. After all, almost no one survived once the black card was sent.

"Is that so? I recall the leader of Dragon Soul, Death, is still alive, isn't he?" Lin Fan's lips curled into a wicked smile. His veil hid the expression, but his tone brimmed with confidence.

The conversation between Lin Fan and the veiled man was lost on Fu Tian. The modern Hong Gang had declined, and they kept to their own small corner, so Fu Tian was unfamiliar with many organizations. He had never heard of Dragon Soul or Bloodkill's black card.

"Who are you, really?" the veiled man asked, brows furrowed. The previous assassination attempt on Dragon Soul's leader by Bloodkill had ended in failure—a fact known within Bloodkill, but few outsiders were aware. This man before him could recount the event, causing the assassin to grow wary and question Lin Fan's identity.

"My identity is irrelevant. What matters is what I just said—will you agree or not?" Lin Fan replied calmly.

"You won’t even reveal who you are. How do you expect me to release him based on a few words?" The veiled man had made up his mind: unless Lin Fan's next words held enough weight, he would risk everything to kill Fu Tian. No one survived a black card, save rare exceptions, but he was sure Fu Tian was not one of them.

"I think this should be enough to spare his life," Lin Fan said, as a black card drifted down from the air. No one saw where it came from. The card was covered in stars, sparkling under the moonlight, with a large white character—'Soul'—in the center. It was the Star Soul black card, and the Bloodkill member stared intently at the 'Soul' character.

The sight of this star-studded black card stunned the veiled man, his eyes filled with shock. As a member of Dark Night Bloodkill, he was well aware of Star Soul—a secretive organization. Though Star Soul only had eight members and lacked overall strength, their individual prowess was unmatched.

Star Soul had not surfaced for a long time, and many organizations in the world assumed they had disappeared. But now, seeing the Star Soul black card again, the veiled man realized how foolish those assumptions were. "Who are you, really?" he asked, the tone now changed—no longer cold, and the murderous aura greatly diminished.

"You've already guessed, haven't you?" Lin Fan countered, not revealing his identity. "So, is this enough to protect his life?"

Since Dragon Soul had risen to become the dominant force in the mercenary world, Star Soul rarely appeared in the underworld or accepted assignments. Their influence, however, remained. Lin Fan always carried a Star Soul black card. To save Fu Tian, this was the only way—he couldn't just kill a Bloodkill operative.

One was the king of mercenaries, the other the overlord of assassins. Perhaps because they were contemporaries, both commanding vast organizations, Lin Fan genuinely wanted to meet the leader of Dark Night Bloodkill. If he hoped to befriend him, he couldn’t start by killing his subordinates—that would hardly make sense.

He wore the veil partly to prevent Fu Tian from recognizing him. They had met before, and Lin Fan knew that someone like Fu Tian would remember anyone he'd met, so to avoid unnecessary trouble, Lin Fan concealed his identity. Secondly, Lin Fan didn’t want Bloodkill to remember his face; otherwise, they'd realize he was from Star Soul, which would be a disadvantage. Lin Fan believed Star Soul should retain some mystery—no one would guess Star Soul was hidden within Dragon Soul.

"I know your organization has its own standards. I advise you to investigate further. If it turns out the facts are as they seem and you still wish to kill him, I won’t interfere," Lin Fan said, seeing the veiled man hesitate. He alluded to the matter of Liu Zhuo, which, though unclear in detail, was obviously more complicated judging by Fu Tian’s expression. "Also, deliver a message to your leader for me—tell him I’d very much like to make his acquaintance."

"Fine. I accept," the veiled man finally replied. The Star Soul black card alone was more than enough to protect Fu Tian's life, not to mention Lin Fan’s subsequent words. It seemed necessary to look into this matter more closely.

He glanced at Lin Fan, picked up the Bloodkill black card from the ground, and turned to leave. Since he hadn’t completed the kill, he had to retrieve the card.

"Wait…," Fu Tian began, but Lin Fan waved him silent. "He won’t tell you who the client is. You’d better reflect on whom you might have offended," Lin Fan said quietly. That was the rule in every organization—no one betrayed their employer.

Fu Tian rose unsteadily, his age making his movements less agile than before. He wanted to ask Lin Fan why he saved him, but saw Lin Fan stoop to pick up another black card from the ground. Lin Fan didn’t want anyone to know Star Soul had resurfaced.

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