Chapter 431: Catch the Assassin

“Alright, we’ll leave now. You must be careful.”

Huang Xinyu’s composure was far beyond that of an ordinary woman. After the initial shock passed, she quickly regained her calm. She knew that staying here would only burden Lin Xiao.

She immediately took Yuan Yu and Huang Caixing by the hand and turned to leave without hesitation.

Yuan Yu and Huang Caixing were worried for Lin Xiao’s safety and had many things they wanted to say. Even so, they obediently followed Huang Xinyu, glancing back repeatedly as they left, unable to hide the concern in their eyes.

They were both extremely intelligent girls. They understood the danger had not passed. Every moment they remained here increased the risk to Lin Xiao. If they truly cared about Big Brother Lin’s safety, the best thing to do was not to be a burden.

Without the drag of the three of them, Big Brother Lin would be safer alone.

As Huang Xinyu, Yuan Yu, and Huang Caixing left, Lin Xiao’s gaze suddenly sharpened, a cold glint flickering deep in his pupils.

Lin Xiao’s figure flickered, vanishing from where he stood.

***

“Did he escape?”

Because of the distance, the man hiding on the rooftop didn’t see clearly. He was quite disappointed at having failed to kill Lin Xiao with one shot.

He did not immediately move. Still maintaining his aiming posture, he kept the sniper rifle trained on the alleyway, waiting for Lin Xiao to show himself again so he could land a fatal shot.

However, the alley remained dead silent—no one appeared again.

“What a shame. That guy reacted too fast and even sensed the danger in advance. That’s the only reason I failed to finish him with a headshot.”

The man stood up slowly. His chest was soaked in sweat, leaving a large wet patch on the ground. Who knew how long he had been lying in wait on that rooftop?

“But I shot him in the back. Even if he didn’t die, he should be half-crippled. I’ll leave the cleanup to others. Time for me to retreat.”

The man pulled out a black handkerchief and wiped the fingerprints from the sniper rifle. He also carefully erased any traces that could reveal his identity.

His movements were orderly and meticulous. He didn’t miss a single detail, showing not only extreme caution but also top-tier military training. He was a combat veteran. He had no intention of taking the sniper rifle with him. The weapon had served its purpose. Carrying it would only hinder his escape and draw police attention. It was better to discard it.

Brushing off imaginary dust from his clothes, he took out a pair of sunglasses from his pocket and put them on. After straightening his attire, he prepared to leave the rooftop.

However, just as he took two steps, his body suddenly froze, all movements coming to an abrupt halt.

“What?!”

His eyes widened in shock behind his sunglasses. On his face appeared an expression of extreme disbelief.

Seven or eight meters behind him, in a shadowed corner where the sunlight couldn’t reach, stood a young man with a well-proportioned build and deep eyes, staring at him expressionlessly.

“When did he get there? Why didn’t I notice at all?”

A storm raged in the man’s heart. His pupils contracted to pinpoints. Even under the blazing midday sun, he felt as if he’d fallen into an ice cave, cold to the bone.

As a top-tier assassin, someone had managed to get this close without him noticing. Didn’t that mean the other party could’ve taken his life at any moment?

“You seem surprised?”

Lin Xiao stepped out of the shadows, walking leisurely toward the man, calm and composed.

The man took a deep breath to steady himself. His eyes behind the sunglasses darted rapidly, searching for an escape route. But to his dismay, the only path out was behind Lin Xiao.

If he wanted to leave, his only option was to get past Lin Xiao.

“You were shot in the back. Why’re you okay?”

The man began retreating slowly, body taut with tension, right hand sliding toward the pistol at his waist.

“Who knows? Maybe my bones are just tougher than most,” Lin Xiao said calmly, his steps unceasing as he drew closer to the man. “I have a few questions for you. If you answer honestly, I’ll give you a clean death.”

“Heh.”

The man grinned, baring a set of vicious, sinister eyes as he removed his sunglasses.

“I know what you want to ask. My answer is… no comment!”

As the last word left his mouth, the man suddenly drew his pistol and fired several rounds at Lin Xiao.

A series of bullets shot from the muzzle. Each aimed with deadly precision at Lin Xiao’s head, chest, and limbs—proof of the man’s masterful shooting skills.

But Lin Xiao had been ready. His figure shifted like a ghost, evading every bullet with supernatural ease.

Even after an entire magazine was emptied, Lin Xiao remained unscathed.

Watching Lin Xiao draw closer, the man’s heartbeat quickened. Sweat drenched his palms, and his spirit plummeted. He hadn’t expected such a seemingly certain mission to end like this. Not only had he failed, but he now found himself trapped.

Though Lin Xiao exuded no killing intent, the man wasn’t foolish enough to believe Lin Xiao would let him go.

“Think I’ll sit and wait for death? Dream on!”

The man tossed aside his pistol and pulled a dagger from his waist. A savage glint flashed in his eyes as he gripped it with both hands, lunging at Lin Xiao’s heart with a fierce thrust.

The gleaming dagger, over a foot long, flashed with deadly light. It reached Lin Xiao in the blink of an eye.

This man wasn’t just a marksman. His close-combat skills were also impressive. The speed and ferocity of that thrust rivaled elite special forces soldiers.

Against anyone else, he might’ve put up a fight. But Lin Xiao merely raised two fingers and casually pinched the blade.

The man’s full-strength thrust was stopped cold by Lin Xiao’s fingers. No matter how much force he applied, the blade couldn’t move forward an inch.

Just two fingers—but to the man, it felt like they weighed as much as mountains.

He gnashed his teeth and glared, trying to pull the dagger free, but it wouldn’t budge.

Sweat as big as beans slid down his face. A crushing sense of helplessness and despair surged within him.

With a twist of two fingers, Lin Xiao snapped the steel dagger clean in half. Then he raised one foot and stomped down on the man’s shin.

The man’s lower leg broke with a sickening crack. Yet he was tough. He didn’t even cry out. His eyes blazed with determination. With the broken half of the dagger, he turned it toward his own throat.

He knew he wasn’t Lin Xiao’s match, and survival was impossible. Rather than endure interrogation and torture, he chose suicide.

It was the right decision—except for one thing. His life no longer belonged to him from the moment he saw Lin Xiao.