Mercenary Tao's Killing Intent

Deep within the cold, damp cave, water droplets fell from the tips of inverted stalactites, striking the rock with a monotonous, irritating echo.

This was one of the Crane School's secret, unknown strongholds.

Master Shen's face was livid, his withered fingers nearly crushing the cane he held.

On the holographic projection screen before him, clips of the World Martial Arts Tournament played on a loop—the brutal draw between Tien Shinhan and Son Goku, but what sent his blood pressure soaring was the duel between Tien Shinhan and Lin Fan!

Especially that final moment: Lin Fan's light, effortless palm strike, devoid of any "ki," had actually caused Tien Shinhan, who was unleashing his Four Witches Technique, to stumble backward in mid-air!

"Trash! All of them are trash!"

Master Shen swung his cane violently, shattering a stalagmite nearby!

Stone fragments sprayed everywhere.

The disciple he had painstakingly cultivated, the genius Tien Shinhan who had inherited the Crane School's strongest ultimate techniques, had actually been forced back by some unknown, pathetic kid using such crooked, heretical tricks!

Even though he had technically won, it was a humiliating, ugly victory!

Not to mention that Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu had actually developed a curiosity about this kid!

This was practically dragging the face of the Crane School through the dirt!

"And that old turtle!"

Master Shen gritted his teeth, his gray beard trembling. "It must be him! He dug up some freak from who knows where and taught him some nonsense just to spite me!"

He would never allow anyone to challenge the authority of the Crane School, especially not in a way he couldn't comprehend! This "heretical path" had to be strangled in the cradle!

Otherwise, who would fear the Crane School in the future?

But to act personally? That was beneath him.

Besides, that old man Master Roshi was surely watching.

Tien Shinhan?

That boy had returned from training at the Lookout and seemed a bit distracted; plus, asking him to deal with a defeated opponent would likely meet with resistance.

He needed a sharp blade.

A cold, efficient, absolutely obedient blade capable of completely destroying that "heretical path."

A flicker of malice crossed Master Shen's murky eyes.

He walked to an ancient communicator deep in the cave—a device that looked like a giant conch embedded in the stone.

He took a deep breath, channeled a sliver of ki, and activated the device.

The mouth of the conch emitted a faint blue light, and a cold, emotionless voice resonated directly in his mind, carrying a texture like grinding metal:

"Speak."

"Mercenary Tao,"

Master Shen suppressed the slight discomfort in his heart; he had always harbored a shred of wariness toward his fellow disciple. "I have a job. Are you taking it?"

"Target, strength, location, payment."

The other party was concise, skipping any pleasantries.

"Target: Lin Fan. Strength... unknown; his ki is weak, but his methods are bizarre. He appears to possess a non-ki-based form of energy manipulation, can hover at low altitudes, and has peculiar defensive and long-range striking techniques. Location: West City, Capsule Corporation. Payment: The usual rate, tripled."

Master Shen spoke quickly, specifically emphasizing the words "non-ki" and "bizarre."

There was a silence of several seconds on the other end, as if the caller were retrieving data.

A moment later, Mercenary Tao's cold voice sounded again, carrying a trace of faint yet chilling contempt:

"Lin Fan? That bug who played little tricks at the tournament? The data shows his combat power is low; he is evaluated as... small fry. You want me, the world's number one assassin, to deal with a small fry?"

Master Shen felt a vein throb on his forehead. "Do not underestimate him! His abilities are strange! Tien Shinhan was caught off guard and suffered for it! I suspect he is connected to that old turtle and may have mastered something we don't know about..."

"Excuses."

Mercenary Tao interrupted him coldly. "Tien Shinhan's failure stems from his own weakness and stupidity. Any technique that cannot be measured by ki is a joke in the face of absolute power."

He paused, his tone remaining flat and waveless, yet radiating absolute confidence and cruelty: "However... triple the pay is worth me lifting a finger. By the way, I'll help you clear the dust from the Crane School's doorstep, brother."

The insult in his words made Master Shen's face even uglier, but he held it in. "As long as you agree! Remember, be clean and efficient; leave no evidence! It would be best if it looked like an accident!"

"Hmph."

Mercenary Tao let out a cold snort, as if he had heard the most boring request. "I, Mercenary Tao, never miss a kill, and I have no need for disguises. I will head to West City myself. I will make that bug, and his little tricks, disappear together."

The communication cut off abruptly, and the blue light at the mouth of the conch faded.

Master Shen let out a long breath, a savage satisfaction appearing on his face. When Mercenary Tao acted, there were no exceptions.

That kid named Lin Fan was a dead man!

The prestige of the Crane School would soon be restored!

Across the vast ocean, atop a certain skyscraper.

A figure dressed in a pristine, spotless, classic assassin's outfit slowly hung up a retro-style telephone receiver—the cord was connected directly to the building's lightning rod, as if he had just made an ordinary local call.

The world's number one assassin, Mercenary Tao.

His face was stern, his eyes as indifferent as eternal ice, and his entire being radiated an emotionless aura of slaughter.

He walked to the edge of the rooftop, looking down at the city below, which appeared like a toy model.

"West City... Capsule Corporation... Lin Fan..."

He repeated the target information in a low voice, as if reciting an insignificant menu.

He pulled the latest model of a Battle Power Detector from his robes and put it on.

Countless light dots immediately appeared on the screen in the direction of West City, most of them being weak readings of less than 5.

"Weak auras... strange abilities..."

A cold, extremely disdainful arc curled at the corner of Mercenary Tao's mouth. "Playing god."

In his philosophy of slaughter, there was only the distinction between strong and weak.

Anything that could not be quantified by the detector was classified entirely as "useless" and "fake."

Powerful ki was everything. Any attempt to compensate for a weakness in ki with "technique" was merely the pathetic struggle of the weak, a blasphemy against the martial way (as he perceived it).

He leaped lightly, drifting down from the building like a feather.

During his descent, he waved his hand elegantly.

BOOM!

Not far away, a small reconnaissance airship bearing the Red Ribbon Army logo that happened to be flying past suddenly exploded in mid-air, turning into a fireball!

The pilot inside didn't even have time to let out a scream.

Mercenary Tao didn't even glance at the fireworks; his figure suddenly veered in mid-air, defying the laws of physics, and shot toward the distance like a precision missile.

Beneath his feet, a massive stone pillar that had flown in from nowhere slid precisely under him, supporting his body.

He stood on the pillar with his hands behind his back, the gale making his clothes snap and flutter, his expression remaining cold and heartless.

"Mission target: Eliminate Lin Fan."

"Mission time limit: Before the next meal."

"Mission difficulty:" He paused, as if stating a universal truth, "Zero."

The stone pillar tore through the clouds, speeding toward West City at an astonishing pace.

The lethal killing intent had crossed the ocean, locked on with precision.

Meanwhile, in the underground laboratory of Capsule Corporation in West City, Lin Fan had just finished a round of gravity training and was wiping away his sweat, completely unaware of the impending catastrophe.

The crisis, like the Sword of Damocles hanging over his head, was plummeting down!