Chapter 195: Sealed Fate

“Make sure the CEO is safe. If there’s any disturbance, leave immediately. Don’t wait for me,” Lin Xiao instructed Xiang Wentian in a low voice.

Xiang Wentian nodded firmly. “Rest assured, making a mistake once was enough. We won’t make a second one.”

Lin Xiao patted Xiang Wentian on the shoulder, then turned and disappeared into the darkness without hesitation.

It was deep into the night, and in the dense woods, visibility was nearly non-existent. Lin Xiao moved without any light source, navigating the challenging environment with ease, akin to a natural habitat for him.

He moved through the forest like a phantom, reaching a villa nearest to the base of the hill in just over ten minutes. After a quick scan around the villa, Lin Xiao stealthily proceeded to the next.

After checking seven or eight villas, Lin Xiao finally stopped.

It was a standard three-story villa, outwardly similar to the others. Yet at this villa’s entrance, Lin Xiao noticed densely packed footprints.

Thanks to his specially trained vision, Lin Xiao could see in the dark. Even without artificial light and relying solely on the faint glow from the stars and the blurred lights from the villa, he could clearly observe the surroundings. All those dense footprints led into the villa, with none coming out.

The implication was clear without saying.

“This is it.”

Lin Xiao looked up at the sky. The night was pitch-dark and windy, with only sparse stars and a dim moon. It was perfect weather for killing.

His body darted forward, swift as a leopard and nimble as a civet. In an instant, he moved from his hiding spot to the shadows beside the villa. Then, using his hands and feet, he quickly scaled the villa wall, climbing silently without making a sound.

As the captain of the Dragon Sword Squad, as the Night Emperor in the underworld, Lin Xiao found tasks like sabotage, assassination, raiding, and reconnaissance to be second nature, utterly effortless.

***

Inside the villa.

In the spacious living room, several sofas were arranged, with nothing else around.

On one of the sofas, a handsome young man in a sky-blue suit lounged with his legs casually crossed, leaning back against the sofa. He held a glass of red wine in one hand and gently tapped on his thigh with the other, his eyes closed in rest.

In his arms, a beautiful woman clad in a tight black outfit reclined. Her voluptuous figure, her hair styled in an updo, and her captivating eyes exuded an irresistibly seductive charm.

Standing behind the young man was a man in his forties. Dressed like a butler in a tailcoat, one hand hung by his side while the other held a tray with a wine bottle, his posture rigid as a statue, devoid of any sign of life.

On the opposite sofa sat another man, attired in a white suit with a blood-red tie, his face obscured by a white mask. The eyes visible behind the mask were as cold and calculating as those of a serpent.

“Blood Shadow, the so-called senior assassin you sent last time was a failure. Don’t disappoint me this time,” the handsome young man suddenly opened his eyes, a glint of killing intent flashing across them. “Otherwise, your Dark Night organization might as well cease to exist.”

The man wearing the white mask was Blood Shadow, the leader of the Dark Night Order.

Hearing the handsome young man’s words, a cold glint flashed behind his mask. “Wan Shixuan, I hope you understand that our relationship is one of cooperation. I am not your subordinate or your servant. Do not talk to me as if I am.”

“I’d like to reprimand you, but how can I when you’ve been so incompetent? Failing twice in a row not only made Wan Caixuan unnecessarily suspicious but also inflicted severe losses on my resources.”

Wan Shixuan stopped patting the thigh of the woman next to him, stood up from the sofa, and radiated an air of authority.

“After two consecutive failures, I’m sorry, but I’ve completely lost faith in you. I have to intervene personally this time.”

“Mr. Wan, rest assured this time,” Blood Shadow responded, his voice carrying a smug chill muffled by his mask, “This time, the Dark Night Order has pulled out all the stops. All nine senior members have convened here in this villa, along with your men and mine, Mr. Wan. Even if the heavens descended, they wouldn’t escape. And the previous missions failed because an unexpected factor intervened on Wan Caixuan’s behalf. Otherwise, she would have been long gone.”

“Unexpected? What do you mean?” Wan Shixuan asked, intrigued.

Despite his desire for Wan Caixuan’s death, after all, they were both from the Wan family. If someone discovered his involvement in an assassination attempt, it could cause a major scandal within the Wan family, potentially jeopardizing his claim as an heir.

Therefore, after outsourcing the hit to the Dark Night, he had not kept a close watch on Wan Caixuan, wary of implicating himself.

Of course, engaging in underhanded tactics against Wan Caixuan in business was permissible within the Wan family. Lu Pengbo, the second-in-command of Brilliant Aya Limited, was his man.

“A bodyguard from who knows where. I don’t have specific intel on him, but there’s a high chance he’s ex-special forces, highly skilled. He thwarted both previous assassination attempts,” Blood Shadow said, gritting his teeth.

He had naturally investigated the people around Wan Caixuan and knew her bodyguard was named Lin Xiao, but due to the limited time, he hadn’t managed to uncover much about Lin Xiao’s background.

“But this time he’s definitely dead. No matter who he is.”

Murderous intent flickered in Blood Shadow’s eyes.

“Really? I heard your Dark Night Order was brought down by someone from the military, someone who turned your world into a bloodbath. They call him the Night Emperor, right?” Wan Shixuan looked at an enraged Blood Shadow with a slight taunt.

“What are you implying, Mr. Wan?”

Blood Shadow’s eyes flashed with fear at the mention of the Night Emperor, and then he glared fiercely at Wan Shixuan.

Despite the passage of time, just the mention of the Night Emperor filled Blood Shadow with dread. He feared he could never forget the man who had infiltrated Dark Night and turned it upside down, leaving no stone unturned.

“It means nothing. Consider it a joke.”

“Mr. Wan, rest assured, the Night Emperor couldn’t possibly be here. Apart from the Night Emperor, there is no one else that Dark Night considers a threat,” Blood Shadow, having regained his composure, confidently declared.

“That’s reassuring.”