Chapter 200: Unworthy

From the moment Lin Xiao launched his attack to the killing of Blood Shadow, it all happened in less than three seconds.

Steady as a mountain when still, he struck with the force of thunder when moving. Lin Xiao’s actions perfectly embodied this proverb.

Both Wan Shixuan and Uncle Wang only reacted when Lin Xiao blasted Blood Shadow away, but by then it was too late to intervene, and they could only watch as Lin Xiao executed Blood Shadow.

Uncle Wang silently shifted his position, stepping between Wan Shixuan and Lin Xiao, wary that Lin Xiao might attack Wan Shixuan next.

Truthfully, even Uncle Wang was taken aback by Lin Xiao’s speed.

But Uncle Wang’s caution was unnecessary. After killing Blood Shadow, Lin Xiao did not immediately attack again. He stepped away from Blood Shadow’s corpse, his gaze sweeping the room before finally settling on Wan Shixuan.

Lin Xiao could sense that despite the apparent calm, the hall was charged with killing intent.

At least a dozen guns were aimed at him from various angles, not to mention the presence of a master of ancient martial arts and a woman whose depth he could not quite gauge.

As for Wan Shixuan, whose features were as delicate as a woman’s, Lin Xiao deemed him no threat and thus dismissed him.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Wan Shixuan suddenly began clapping.

“Brilliant, truly brilliant!” Wan Shixuan continued clapping and exclaimed, “I never expected to encounter such a master in a small place like Jinghai City. This is indeed a surprise.”

Blood Shadow’s death did not seem to affect Wan Shixuan in the slightest. In his view, Blood Shadow had always been an expendable piece. His death was not worth any regret.

Blood Shadow’s corpse lay not far away, eyes wide open and face contorted in an unseeing grimace of death, yet Wan Shixuan looked on indifferently, his gaze fixed on Lin Xiao with an inscrutable expression.

“Are you Wan Shixuan?” Lin Xiao asked calmly, a subtle glint passing through his eyes.

“Correct, I am Wan Shixuan.”

Wan Shixuan stepped out from behind Uncle Wang and waved over the enigmatic woman nearby. She quickly approached and poured wine into his glass.

“If I’m not mistaken, you are Wan Caixuan’s bodyguard?”

“If I am?” Lin Xiao asked, his eyebrows slightly raised, acknowledging his identity.

“I think I understand why you’re here,” Wan Shixuan continued, holding a wine glass in one hand and the other in his pocket as he began to circle Lin Xiao. Uncle Wang closely followed.

“You seem like a smart man with some abilities, so I’m willing to offer you a chance to live. Just swear loyalty to me from now on and eliminate my dear sister Wan Caixuan. How about it?”

“You want me to swear loyalty to you?” Lin Xiao’s lips curled into a slight, cold smile.

Unaware of Lin Xiao’s expression, Wan Shixuan went on, “You should know who I am. I’m the second in line to inherit the Wan family fortune, ranked above Wan Caixuan. If you can work for her, why can’t you serve me? After all, it’s all the same.”

“And if I refuse?”

“If you refuse, then you die.” Wan Shixuan abruptly stopped walking, his gaze turning cold. “Not just you, but everyone close to you will die as well. That’s the price for offending me.”

“Is that so?” Lin Xiao raised his hands slowly, starting to unwind the bandages on his wrists, speaking calmly, “I think you’ve misunderstood something.”

“Oh?” Wan Shixuan raised an eyebrow, turning his head to look at Lin Xiao with a dismissive tone, “Interesting. I’d like to hear what you think.”

As Lin Xiao continued to remove his bandages, he kept his gaze lowered, hiding the cold gleam in his eyes.

“Firstly, I don’t serve Wan Caixuan. Secondly, you’re not worthy of my loyalty. And lastly, you shouldn’t threaten me.”

Wan Shixuan took a sip of red wine and let out a snort of disdain, scoffing, “So what if I am threatening you? Here and now, do you think you have any leverage to negotiate?”

“Whether I do or don’t, you’ll find out soon enough,” Lin Xiao said before falling silent.

He had completely removed the bandages from his hands, revealing palms as hard as steel.

His injuries had been minor, and with the regenerative capabilities from his advanced internal energy, his palms had healed overnight. He had kept the bandages on simply to avoid drawing undue attention, given his unusually rapid healing.

A dangerous aura suddenly emanated from Lin Xiao.

Uncle Wang’s pupils constricted as he stepped forward to shield Wan Shixuan.

“Young master, please step back. I’ll handle him.”

Wan Shixuan also felt the dangerous aura from Lin Xiao and chuckled coldly, “Uncle Wang, hold off for now. Let’s see what this guy can really do.”

With that, Wan Shixuan raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

At his signal, over a dozen fully armed mercenaries suddenly appeared from the corners of the room, each with a malevolent grin and a submachine gun aimed at Lin Xiao.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Gunfire erupted instantly, with dazzling flashes at the muzzles as bullets transformed into a ferocious steel storm heading straight for Lin Xiao.

However, Lin Xiao had prepared for an attack while he was unwrapping his bandages.

The appearance of the ten mercenaries was entirely anticipated.

As they fired, Lin Xiao powerfully pushed off the ground, leaving a deep imprint in the floor, and his body, propelled by this force, moved sideways with astonishing speed.

The bullets all missed, falling behind him without hitting their mark.

Lin Xiao did not charge at Wan Shixuan. He had recognized that the middle-aged man beside Wan was a martial artist skilled in internal energy. Although not a match for him, the man could stall him momentarily.

Moreover, the woman next to Wan Shixuan was somewhat enigmatic, making it challenging to swiftly capture Wan Shixuan.

Lin Xiao’s initial targets were the ten mercenaries, aiming to eliminate these irritants first.

Within moments, Lin Xiao closed the distance to one of the mercenaries. The mercenary’s eyes flashed with ferocity as he pulled a knife from his belt and aimed for Lin Xiao’s heart.

Lin Xiao grabbed the mercenary’s wrist and delivered a powerful punch to his chest, unleashing his internal energy.

The force of Lin Xiao’s punch sent the mercenary flying, his bulletproof vest proving ineffective against the devastating impact that shattered his heart.

Without pausing, Lin Xiao grabbed the mercenary’s body to shield himself, swiftly dodging bullets and advancing toward the others.

These mercenaries were indeed elite. Upon realizing that they couldn’t handle Lin Xiao individually, they quickly regrouped, creating a crossfire with two submachine guns to block Lin Xiao’s path.

With a flick of his wrist, Lin Xiao hurled the seized knife. The blade flew over a distance of seven or eight meters, embedding itself in the forehead of another mercenary.

Continuing his assault, Lin Xiao moved through the mercenaries like a wolf among sheep, swiftly incapacitating most of them.

Seeing their comrades fall, the remaining mercenaries displayed signs of panic, firing desperately. Bullets ricocheted throughout the hall, leaving the floor and ceiling riddled with holes.