Chapter 74: The Inside Man

Without hesitation, Li Chengxin pulled the trigger. A hail of bullets tore through the air. But the black figure moved like a shadow, twisting and slipping between each shot. Every bullet struck nothing but empty space.

In the next instant, the figure was upon him. A brutal punch landed square on Li Chengxin’s chest, launching him backward. Before he could recover, the figure snatched his gun and followed with a savage kick to the chin, knocking him out cold.

The remaining four stared in horror. The figure moved too fast, too fluidly—far beyond anything human. They couldn’t react.

Yan Feishi barely managed to raise his gun before the figure closed the gap. A flash of mockery gleamed in the figure’s eyes as a sharp slap crashed into Yan’s temple, sending him tumbling to the floor.

The black figure was like a harbinger of death.

Without slowing, it charged at Fan Chanshi and Wang Ruofei. A fist to the ribs crumpled one, a palm strike to the neck felled the other. Even Wang Ruofei, the lone woman, received a brutal kick to the head without hesitation or remorse.

In seconds, they were all down—groaning, unconscious, or worse.

Only Sun Gaoxiang remained standing. Though his body trembled under the weight of terror, he forced himself to stay upright, feigning calm in front of this monstrous foe.

“You’re the last one,” the black figure sneered. “Surprised you didn’t run. Bold of you—but you’ll still die.”

In a flash, he was face-to-face with Sun Gaoxiang, one hand closing around his throat, fingers tightening like a vice.

“Wait! We’re on the same side!” Sun Gaoxiang gasped, his voice choked with fear.

The grip paused—just for a moment. The fingers loosened slightly, though red marks already bloomed across Sun Gaoxiang’s neck.

“What did you say?” the black figure asked coldly.

“I’m one of you,” Sun Gaoxiang croaked, clutching at his throat. “I’m not with them. I’m undercover. I gave your people Wan Caixuan’s villa location!”

As he spoke, his gaze flicked toward Wan Caixuan and Ning Xi lying motionless on the floor. A lustful gleam flashed in his eyes, and he unconsciously licked his lips, desire and cruelty mingling in his expression.

The shadowy figure’s icy gaze didn’t waver. Without warning, he shot out a hand and clamped it around Sun Gaoxiang’s throat.

“Spare me your theatrics. You think you can trick me? This is just you trying to survive.”

“I—I can prove it!” Sun Gaoxiang stammered, eyes wide with panic.

He fumbled for his phone and thrust it forward. “Don’t be rash, Brother Assassin. I’m one of you. Young Master Wan planted me in Wan Caixuan’s circle. The proof is all in here. Text records, voice memos. Aren’t we both serving the young master?”

The assassin snatched the phone, flicked through the contents with a single glance, then paused. The killing intent in his eyes dimmed, replaced by a cold, unreadable calm.

“Hmph. So, you know more than you let on.”

“Yes, yes!” Sun Gaoxiang’s face contorted into a groveling smile. “Now you understand. I’m one of you. See? I’ve always been loyal. I even heard Wan Caixuan had a tough new bodyguard, but clearly, he was no match for you.”

The assassin chuckled, but it was devoid of humor.

Then, without a word, he raised his leg and slammed it into Sun Gaoxiang’s knee. The sound of bone shattering echoed through the silent room.

Sun Gaoxiang let out a ragged scream as he crumpled to the ground, clutching his mangled leg in agony.

“Why?” Sun Gaoxiang cried out, his voice trembling, unable to comprehend the betrayal. His anguished scream was cut short as his eyes locked onto something impossible.

Wan Caixuan—who moments ago had appeared lifeless—was now standing tall before him. Beside her, Ning Xi also stood upright, very much alive.

“You… you…” Sun Gaoxiang stammered, his legs wobbling beneath him. His lips trembled, but no full sentence came out. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as his gaze darted wildly between Wan Caixuan, Ning Xi, and the black-clad figure.

His brain reeled in chaos, incapable of making sense of what he was seeing.

Then, with measured calm, the masked figure reached up and peeled away his disguise. It was Lin Xiao.

“You heard our conversation, didn’t you?” he said.

With Sun Gaoxiang’s confession and his exposure of the mastermind behind the scenes, Lin Xiao no longer needed to maintain the charade.

This was all part of Wan Caixuan’s plan.

Her strategy had Lin Xiao disguise himself as an assassin and stage an attack in front of the five inner-circle members, hoping to flush out the mole.

The plan had originally been more elaborate, but Sun Gaoxiang’s overwhelming fear and cowardice caused him to break down and confess on his own—saving Lin Xiao considerable effort.

“I heard every word. Clear as day,” Wan Caixuan said, her tone biting cold.

Her stunning face was expressionless, but her eyes glinted with contempt.

“I never imagined that the mole would be someone personally planted by my own brother. And to think… he even went so far as to hire assassins to kill me. What a loving sibling.”

“Miss,” Ning Xi interjected, her voice tight with fury, “At this point, is he still worthy of being called your brother? The way he treats us, we should return it in kind.”

“Hmph.” Wan Caixuan scoffed, eyes narrowing as she glanced down at the pale, crumpled figure of Sun Gaoxiang. “Now that we know Wan Shixuan is the one pulling the strings, this won’t end quietly. As for this man… let him live. He may be a coward, but pawns like him still have their uses.”

Lin Xiao’s gaze shifted to the unconscious bodies strewn across the room. “And the others?”

Li Chengxin and the rest were still unconscious. Since Lin Xiao wasn’t sure who the traitor was, he exercised restraint when striking them. Though he managed to knock them out, he ensured not to cause any physical harm.

“Wake them up,” Wan Caixuan ordered coldly. “They need to see the real face of Sun Gaoxiang for themselves. I’ll admit it—Wan Shixuan’s spy was planted deep. If not for the relentless assassination attempts, I might never have suspected someone so close.”

Her fury simmered just beneath the surface. Her eyes, sharp as blades, bore into Sun Gaoxiang with the urge to kill him then and there. But reason held her back—he couldn’t die yet. Not until he gave up everything he knew.

Sun Gaoxiang trembled uncontrollably, sweat mixing with pain as he clutched his ribs. Barely able to speak through clenched teeth, he begged, “Miss… please… spare me. I—I’ll tell you everything I know.”

Wan Caixuan’s gaze didn’t soften. Her beautiful face remained expressionless, her silence more chilling than any words.

By the time Lin Xiao roused Li Chengxin, Yan Feishi, and the others, they stirred groggily, pain etched across their faces. As their vision cleared and they caught sight of Lin Xiao—dressed in a tight black suit—their expressions twisted in shock and fear.

Before they could utter a word, their gazes drifted to the sofa. Wan Caixuan sat there unharmed, calm and composed. On the ground lay Sun Gaoxiang, visibly shaken.

The confusion in their eyes turned to utter disbelief.

“Am I… dreaming?” one of them muttered.

“Miss—Miss, you’re alive?!”

“What the hell is going on here?”

The four looked visibly surprised and confused, their eyes wide in disbelief.

They wanted to approach Wan Caixuan for an explanation, but the sight of Lin Xiao standing behind her with his arms crossed held them back.

It was undeniable that Lin Xiao’s swift and relentless attack had left a profound impression on them.

“As you can see, I’m very much alive.” Wan Caixuan stood up and walked over to the four. “What you witnessed earlier was a ruse that I orchestrated with my friend, intended to expose the mole among us.”

“What? A mole?”

“There’s a mole among us?”

The revelation shocked the four. They exchanged quick glances, then their gazes collectively fell on Sun Gaoxiang.

Sun Gaoxiang hung his head in shame, unable to face the mixture of confusion and anger in their eyes.

“I also owe you all an apology. I shouldn’t have involved you in this without warning, nor should I have tested your loyalty without prior explanation. I’m sorry.” Wan Caixuan bowed slightly to the four.

Seeing Wan Caixuan apologizing, the four were taken aback.

They were initially uneasy and even fearful. Wan Caixuan’s attempt to expose the mole suggested a lack of trust in them—a troubling sign in the world of intelligence. When superiors no longer trust you, it could mean the end of your career—or worse, a quiet purge.

But Wan Caixuan’s sincere apology shattered their misgivings and left them filled with shame.

They had worked closely with Sun Gaoxiang yet failed to see through his true identity.

The two assassination attempts on Wan Caixuan were clearly linked to him. In hindsight, their oversight had placed her life in grave danger.

And yet, instead of holding them accountable, Wan Caixuan had chosen to apologize. This act of grace left them deeply humbled—and genuinely grateful.

“Miss, we’re the ones who should be apologizing,” said Li Chengxin, a tall, rugged man with tears in his eyes. He bowed deeply, holding the position for a long moment. “You were put in danger because of our failure. We’re truly sorry.”

The other three echoed Li Chengxin, bowing apologetically to Wan Caixuan.

She gently reached out, helping them up. Her voice was soft, but steady. “You can’t blame yourselves. Sun Gaoxiang was my recruit. If anyone’s at fault, it’s me—for not seeing him for what he was.”

Lin Xiao watched from the sidelines, his expression unreadable. He couldn’t help but admire how effortlessly she handled her people. After everything they’d been through, he had no doubt these four would follow her to the ends of the earth. They would never betray her again.

“Next, I’ll hand Sun Gaoxiang over to you. He must stay alive, but he also has to talk.” Having calmed her subordinates, Wan Caixuan turned to the pressing matter. “We need to know how he contacted the assassins—and Wan Shixuan. This is critical.”

“Leave it to us, Miss. We won’t fail you again,” Li Chengxin said, his voice low and steely. His eyes, hard as flint, locked onto Sun Gaoxiang like a butcher sizing up a pig.

Sun Gaoxiang trembled. Panic took over as he scrambled toward Wan Caixuan, reaching to grab her legs, desperation in every motion. But before he could touch her, Lin Xiao struck him sharply on the neck. Sun Gaoxiang collapsed with a muffled groan, unconscious.

“You may go now and take the assassin’s body with you,” Ning Xi said calmly, breaking her silence. She glanced at Wan Caixuan, noting her exhaustion. “Keep us updated on any progress.”

“Understood,” the four replied, bowing once more.

They left the villa carrying the unconscious Sun Gaoxiang and the assassin’s corpse.