"Kid, you forced my hand. It seems that in these extraordinary times, I'll have to use extraordinary measures."
Ye Wushuang's expression was as gloomy as stagnant water. The reports he had gathered from behind the scenes all confirmed that the kid had received personal guidance from two Old Ancestors in the forbidden grounds. His strength might already have advanced by leaps and bounds.
He had even witnessed the strange phenomenon with his own eyes. Every sign indicated that his opponent was no longer the same kid as before.
"Wildfire cannot burn away the grass; when spring winds blow, it grows again." Everyone understood this simple principle, but how many could truly put it into practice?
He pressed a red button, and a Black-Clad Man appeared before him.
"Here. Take this money to the Underground City and find the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion. Give them this portrait and have them complete the task. I want him pushed to the very top of the Black List's kill order."
"To drive someone mad, you must first drive him to the brink of madness." Ye Wushuang was burning with rage. Every plan he made allowed his opponent to escape by sheer luck—and the key point was that he remained completely unharmed. How could Ye Wushuang possibly endure that?
The kid was like an unkillable cockroach, growing braver with every setback and stronger with every killing. If this continued, he would inevitably become a grave threat.
As time passed, Ye Wushuang felt an overwhelming sense of crisis. After thinking it over, he realized that this would not do. He could only strike the drum with a heavy hammer; under great rewards, brave men would emerge. That was why he had been forced to resort to this desperate measure.
"Grand Elder, rest assured. This subordinate will complete the mission and make sure that kid never returns. Isn't he heading to White Cloud City?"
There were many ways and methods to kill someone, so there was no need to rush. But making him disappear completely would require a bit of effort. After all, professional matters were best left to professionals.
Carrying the deposit and the portrait, he vanished back into the darkness, disappearing completely.
An hour later, a Black-Clad Man appeared in the Underground City. His objective was simple: find the most mysterious assassin organization, the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, and pay for someone's life.
"Kill this person for me. Once it's done, ten thousand taels of gold are yours."
In a secluded corner of the Underground City, a masked man took out a certificate for one thousand taels of gold and went straight to the most mysterious Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.
The Tianyuan Continent had two of the most mysterious organizations. One was the most mysterious assassin organization, the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion. The other was the most mysterious money house, which belonged to no faction and had branches everywhere—the Treasure Collection Pavilion.
It was said that mysterious experts guarded the place. Anyone who tried to cause trouble there was merely asking for suffering. There were rumors of people stirring up trouble one day and disappearing without a trace the next.
Some were even said to have caused trouble in the front and vanished from the world in the back. Thus, when he brought out this item, no one dared snatch it. This was the deterrent power of the Treasure Collection Pavilion.
As long as you had this certificate, you could exchange it freely anywhere that had one of its branches. Thus, when the other party saw it, he was visibly startled.
Holding Ye Yang's portrait, he promptly took out another portrait, then placed the deposit before the other party.
There were no splendid clothes, nor any ornate words. There was only decisive action.
With money in one hand and the portrait in the other, he placed them neatly before the shopkeeper.
"Bring out the person in charge. I have something to discuss with him."
The man clearly did not want to wait any longer. They had quite a few enemies themselves, and to stay alive, they had no choice but to live in darkness, hidden from the light of day.
If not for this mission, he would never have appeared in the chaotic land of the Underground City.
"Please wait, sir. I'll call someone right away."
They had an unwritten rule: they could go three years without doing business, but once business came, they could live off it for three years. Seeing how fearless the other party was, the shopkeeper knew at a glance that he was a major client.
Before long, a white-clad man holding a folding fan appeared. He looked utterly ordinary, but in reality, he was also an expert in the Martial Saint Realm.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared before the man and said bluntly, "Our doors are open to customers. As long as a client has a request, we naturally have to satisfy it. But killing this person may require an additional fee."
They could not kill just anyone on a whim. The Heavenly Secrets Pavilion had become the most mysterious assassin organization and had never suffered a failed job because they knew how to handle matters cleanly, leaving no trace and no leverage for others.
Some people could be killed, and some could not. Some could not be touched no matter how much money was offered, while others could either be killed or spared.
But some required an additional payment before they could be killed. Ye Yang clearly belonged to that category.
"Remember, if we have to enter his Household, there will be no problem—but you'll need to pay another thousand taels."
Before his subordinate left, Ye Wushuang had given him a special warning. He had long anticipated that the other party would say this. After all, he had dealt with certain people before and knew their character.
When he had first accepted the mission, the other party's words had lingered in his ears like music, refusing to fade for three days.
"Fine. No problem at all. I'll pay another thousand taels. That's only the deposit; once the job is done, I'll offer the ten thousand taels."
The man was extremely straightforward. He took out another stack of notes and placed them on the other party's table—putting on a grand display, acting like a wealthy lord. He had money to spare and certainly was not short of it.
"Good. How refreshingly direct. You truly are a straightforward man. We won't waste time either. Deal."
The white-clad man folded away his fan, carefully put everything away, and then issued him a certificate. It was also equivalent to announcing that he had posted a bounty.
"Rest assured. Once the job is done, I'll deliver the balance."
The man was actually sweating profusely by now, merely forcing himself to appear calm. The other party was a Martial Saint Realm expert—one finger would be enough to crush him completely.
As night fell, just after he had left, a Black-Clad Man emerged from the darkness, accepted the mission, and vanished again.
The next day.
"Father, even if you see someone off for a thousand miles, the parting must eventually come. You don't need to send me any farther. I have to face this journey, or I'll never get past this hurdle."
An old man and a young man walked along a broad, flat road. Neither noticed that this seemingly peaceful path was already brimming with hidden killing intent and peril.
"Yang, it's not that I'm worried about you. I'm worried that some people won't know their own limits or when to retreat, and will ultimately end up losing both their wealth and their lives."
Ye Wudi's claim that he was not worried was obviously false. More than worry, he held a sense of anticipation. After all, the stronger the opponent, the stronger one became in turn. The Supreme Body was especially suited to unleashing peerless potential under immense pressure.
"Fine, no problem. A thousand words are best left unspoken. Since you're so confident, I won't say more. I hope you'll amaze everyone with a single brilliant feat."
"Father, rest assured. A true man's ambitions lie in all four directions. I'll make those who looked down on me pay the price. I'll crush them beneath my feet and make them sing of surrender."
"Good lad. You truly have the bearing I had in my younger days. Go."
The two shared a knowing smile and waved goodbye. Ye Yang knew that a new journey was about to begin. Whether hardship or setbacks awaited him, he would accept them all.
"Whoosh!"
Just after he left, Ye Wushuang, the Grand Elder of Law Enforcement, who had been waiting for a long time, finally appeared.
"Kid, you forced my hand. Rest in peace on the Yellow Springs Road!"
Immediately afterward, a Cloud Piercing Arrow shot into the sky and vanished without a trace!
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