Second Contact (Part 1)

"Do you believe in gods?" A strange voice came from behind the two. Lin Yingbin quickly turned around, only to see a group of five people had appeared behind them.

"Who?"

Lin Yingbin's belated caution seemed redundant, but Ryuseki, reacting a beat slower, also turned to look at the group. His expression turned solemn. These five individuals with peculiar appearances looked hostile, and their ability to appear behind them without making a sound suggested they had been completely unaware of their presence.

To describe how strange their faces were, each one looked more monstrous than the last. They had grayish-green faces and sharp, pointed horns growing from their foreheads, resembling the man-eating imps described in traditional opera. They all wore matching long black coats, each adorned with a golden scorpion emblem. The scorpion's tail hung over the shoulder, and the golden scorpion looked lifelike, just like a real scorpion. Their builds varied; the one standing in the middle was as thin as a bamboo pole, while others were as stout as barrels. However, an unsettling aura emanated from them.

"They're a bit different from the last group. I didn't sense them at all appearing behind us. It seems they're quite formidable, clearly not on the same level as the Red Scorpions from last time. With this kind of strength, I'm afraid..."

As Lin Yingbin was whispering to Ryuseki, the bamboo-pole-like figure from the other side interrupted him.

"Stop sneaking around and making small movements."

"Who exactly are you people? Why are you following us? This is the second time. What exactly do you want?"

Ryuseki stepped forward, unafraid, and pressed them for answers.

"Us? Honestly, we don't know who we are. We're just carrying out the orders given by our boss. Of course, you don't need to consider us good people," the tall, thin man replied.

Lin Yingbin caught a hint of something in his words and asked, "Your boss? What did your boss tell you to do? You're not planning to kill us, are you!" He frowned.

"You guessed correctly. Our boss—Zhi—did instruct us to kill you. However, the order specified that we must leave your bodies intact. We, on the other hand, prefer to dismember. Which do you prefer?" the tall, thin man asked, a murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

"Which one? It's not up to us to decide how we die, is it!" Lin Yingbin began preparing for battle.

As Lin Yingbin got ready, he sensed a pressure emanating from his side. The pressure came from Ryuseki. Not knowing what was wrong with Ryuseki, he looked over at him. He saw Ryuseki grinning fiercely at the opponents. This was the first time Lin Yingbin had seen Ryuseki so enraged.

"I only have one question. Based on your answer, I'll make my judgment. Last time we encountered those Red Scorpions, we didn't get a chance to ask. Tell me, did you kill Kikka You?"

From afar, on a tree branch, someone was watching the scene. This person was the bounty hunter who had defeated Ryuseki—Slumber. He observed every move from his vantage point. Although his intentions were unclear, it was evident that he was deeply interested in this event.

"If my answer is 'yes,' can you..."

The moment the tall, thin man uttered "yes," a massive pressure struck him. An unexpected attack aimed directly at his face. Ryuseki threw a punch. The man's neck, connecting to his head, suddenly snapped as if broken. His entire head bent backward.

Ryuseki's enraged fist hadn't retracted when the man's bizarre head began to twist from the back toward his shoulder. Yes, it twisted. The head, like a balloon on a string, had its neck twisted once, then tilted its head to look at Ryuseki, blood seeping from its mouth and its eyeballs bulging slightly. He tried to speak, but it seemed the twisted neck prevented his vocal cords from functioning. Yet, a strange sound composed of his words could still be faintly heard.

"Can you kill us?"

Stunned by what he saw, Ryuseki's anger dissipated like waking from a drunken stupor, calming him considerably. He quickly made the best judgment and took a step back. Then he saw the tall, thin man's neck and head twisting like screws, the entire head rotating back to its original position.

"Ugh~"

Lin Yingbin let out a surprised sound, then bit his lip tightly, deep in thought about their current predicament. He didn't realize he had bitten his lip, and blood was slowly seeping from the corner of his mouth.

This street would normally have many people passing by at this hour. However, so far, besides himself and Ryuseki, there were only these individuals. What had happened on this street? Lin Yingbin was eager to know, as such information was crucial in their current situation. Furthermore, due to the recent attack, Lin Yingbin already knew that the opponent's physical bodies were different from normal people. The unknown strength of the opponent made Lin Yingbin hesitate.

Ryuseki's face was also a little pale. In fact, his question had not received a definitive answer, and he was still very unwilling to accept this.

"We are excellent assassins!"

After the tall, thin man's head returned to normal, he walked toward the two step by step. Then, his fingernails suddenly grew longer. The two realized that those long fingernails were undoubtedly his weapons. The tall, thin man walked toward them step by step, then suddenly kicked Lin Yingbin.

This guy, though seemingly frail, possessed immense strength. Although Lin Yingbin had sensed the attack and defended with all his might, his legs still trembled from the force of the kick. However, Lin Yingbin quickly counterattacked, using his other hand to brace himself on the ground, and kicked the tall, thin man fiercely in the chest with his free leg.

With this kick, Lin Yingbin could clearly feel several of the opponent's ribs cracking. Those broken ribs were likely piercing his internal organs by now. However, from what had happened earlier, Lin Yingbin already understood the abnormal structure of the opponent's body, so he knew the opponent might not die from this.

"Haa~"

Giving the opponent no chance to counter, a massive, claw-shaped airflow from behind swatted the guy away like a fly. The man rolled several times on the ground, his narrow fingernails leaving marks on the concrete. As expected, those long fingernails were very dangerous.

Ryuseki's left arm was wrapped in claw-shaped airflow. He glared angrily at the fallen man, who slowly got up and grumbled, "Tch~ More troublesome than I imagined."

"Ooh~ You can even manipulate airflow? You're more capable than I thought! I'm surprised. It looks like I'll have to follow Scorpion Lord's orders and leave your bodies intact." The tall, thin man waved his hand, signaling the others to attack together.

Just then, that person blocked their path. It was Slumber, the Black Hunter Slumber.