Chapter Eleven: The Intent to Kill

At this moment, sheer terror was reflected in the eyes of the two men. The previous night, before they had even managed to approach Xiao Ye, they had been captured by Red Dragon and his subordinates. Though the two of them were far from weak, they had been subdued with ease—proof enough that these were no ordinary men.

They were merely assassins, carrying out orders assigned by their organization. Although the job had come from the Shangguan family, they hadn’t given it much thought, never imagining it would end like this.

As the two begged for mercy, Xiao Ye remained silent. With a twist and the sickening crunch of shifting bones, their throats were crushed, and both assassins’ necks were snapped—they died instantly.

“Clean up the bodies and prepare to move out,” Xiao Ye commanded, gesturing to Red Dragon to clear the scene.

At this point, his killing intent toward the Shangguan family was fully awakened. He had already shown them a way out; if they refused to take it, they had only themselves to blame.

...

Within the Shangguan family’s estate, the grand hall was filled with tension. Shangguan Hongfei paced back and forth anxiously. The two assassins he had dispatched the previous night had still not returned.

“How is it that those two haven’t come back yet?” he muttered to himself. Their overall skills were not weak within the Assassin Alliance—how could they still be missing at this hour?

His anxiety mounted, for this matter concerned the very future of the Shangguan family. If Xiao Ye could be assassinated, their family’s peace would be secured for years to come. But if the attempt failed, the family’s prospects would be grim.

Sitting nearby was Shangguan Yang’s father, Shangguan Qing, who was also visibly unsettled. He had always trusted the Assassin Alliance implicitly, but now the mission was overdue.

The Assassin Alliance was a major international organization, its agents scattered around the globe, with countless successful assassinations to their name—some of them even high-profile targets.

As the two waited, a sudden knock sounded at the hall’s entrance. Hearing it, both men felt a surge of relief.

“It must be those two,” Shangguan Hongfei said, his face lighting with hope. “Go let them in!” he ordered a nearby servant.

The servant hurried to the door and began to open it slowly. But before he could react, a throwing knife flashed through the air.

With a sickening thud, a shining silver blade buried itself in the servant’s chest. He toppled to the ground, dead on the spot, his face frozen in a mask of shock.

From outside, a figure stepped slowly into the hall.

His appearance instantly caused panic among every member of the Shangguan family. It was Xiao Ye.

He stood before them, alive and unscathed—without so much as a scratch. Shangguan Hongfei’s eyes widened in horror; he had sent killers after Xiao Ye, so how could the man stand before him without the slightest mark?

Suppressing his fear, Shangguan Hongfei forced himself to speak. “Who do you think you are, barging into someone else’s home so rudely?”

Shangguan Qing, recognizing the enemy who had killed his son, leapt up, his eyes burning red with fury. “Xiao Ye, I’ll kill you!” he roared, nearly delirious with rage.

But Xiao Ye remained expressionless, his gaze cold and devoid of emotion. He surveyed the room, then nodded slightly. “Everyone’s here. We can begin.”

At Xiao Ye’s words, Shangguan Hongfei struck his cane on the ground and shouted, “Xiao Ye, you go too far! My grandson’s murder is still unavenged, and you dare threaten us in our own home?”

Anger distorted his features, and his graying beard quivered as he glared at Xiao Ye.

Hearing this, a cold smile played at Xiao Ye’s lips. Behind him, Red Dragon strode forward, tossing two corpses at Shangguan Hongfei’s feet—the very assassins sent the night before.

The sight made Shangguan Hongfei’s breath catch. His suspicions were confirmed—their mission had failed.

“Speak!” Xiao Ye barked, his voice so fierce it startled Shangguan Hongfei. Realizing the situation was lost, Shangguan Hongfei’s eyes narrowed with murderous intent.

Suddenly, he waved his hand. Outside the window, several men appeared, each armed with powerful weapons.

These were the very firearms Shangguan Hongfei had once used to massacre the Xiao clan five years before. Now, after all this time, he was deploying them again.

“Xiao Ye! Five years ago, I used these same weapons to wipe out your family. Today, I’ll use them again to kill you!” Shangguan Hongfei’s face contorted in wild triumph.

This was his backup plan—machine guns aimed at Xiao Ye, sealing off any escape. With a single order, Xiao Ye would be riddled with bullets.

Xiao Ye stood calmly at the entrance, hands clasped behind his back, emanating a murderous aura.

“You think these toys can kill me?” he said coolly, his voice utterly devoid of warmth.

“Xiao Ye, today I will kill you to avenge Xiao Yang’s spirit!” Shangguan Qing shouted from behind cover.

But Xiao Ye only sneered again.

Suddenly, a whistling sound came from outside the window. Bullets spun through the air, and the gunmen aiming their weapons dropped where they stood, each with a bloody hole between the eyes. Blood splattered everywhere, and the scent of it filled the estate in an instant.

Red Dragon, standing at Xiao Ye’s side, whispered, “King Xiao, all targets in the courtyard have been eliminated.”

The entire exchange took place in an instant, leaving the Shangguan family’s members stunned and unable to react. None more so than Shangguan Hongfei, who could never have imagined that Xiao Ye had his own armed forces at his command.

Shangguan Qing, who had just been gloating, now stood frozen, the triumphant smile still plastered on his face.

Chaos erupted inside the hall. Panic swept through the crowd as people scrambled for every possible exit, fear spreading like wildfire.

But Xiao Ye had anticipated this; there was no chance of escape. Elite members of his own forces surged in through every exit, blocking all routes.

Faces twisted with terror, the Shangguan family members realized that Xiao Ye’s men were armed to the teeth; any attempt to flee was hopeless.

Some began to drop to their knees, begging for mercy.

“Xiao Ye, please, spare me! I’ll be your slave for life!”

“This is my new concubine—if you like, she can warm your bed!”

Their desperation exposed their true, ugly selves. But Xiao Ye did not spare them so much as a glance.

Looking at Shangguan Hongfei, now surrounded and trapped, Xiao Ye felt a rare sense of satisfaction. At last, after five years, vengeance was within his grasp.

Nor would he stop with the Shangguan family; the Dongfangs, the Huangs, the Situ clan—the four great families—all of them would answer for what they had done. He would offer each up in memory of his slain kin.

Just then, a sudden shout rang out from outside the door.

“Who dares make trouble in my elder brother’s house?”