Chapter 288: A Trail Uncovered

As Lin Xiao emerged from the hall, he noticed the absence of uncle Wang and Fang Haoyan, their figures having vanished without a trace. His brows furrowed slightly. It wasn’t because they had escaped. Even though they were no longer visible, the traces they left behind on the ground were as clear as a map to Lin Xiao’s sharp eyes.

What troubled him was the fact that the two had split up and fled in different directions.

After a brief pause, Lin Xiao made his decision and turned toward the path on the right.

Judging by the footprints and scuff marks, Fang Haoyan took this route.

There was a reason Lin Xiao chose to pursue Fang Haoyan first. As the leader of the Hundred Seats Society, a dominant underground force in Jiangnan Province, Fang Haoyan wielded considerable influence and had a multitude of subordinates.

If Fang Haoyan escaped and regrouped his forces, it would be an annoyance for Lin Xiao, even if he didn’t fear it. Avoiding future complications was preferable to leaving things unfinished.

Moreover, the Hundred Seats Society was directly involved in Yuan Yu’s kidnapping attempt. While uncle Wang and Wan Shixuan orchestrated it, Hundead Seats Society was an accomplice that couldn’t be forgiven.

Once Fang Haoyan was dealt with, uncle Wang would be next. Lin Xiao had no intention of letting any of them escape.

Following the trail, Lin Xiao moved quickly. Before long, Fang Haoyan’s panicked figure came into view.

He was utterly terrified. Despite having already overestimated Lin Xiao, he hadn’t expected him to be so monstrous.

No—this wasn’t just monstrous. Lin Xiao was like some kind of beast, a force of nature.

At that moment, only one thought occupied Fang Haoyan’s mind: to run. To escape as far as possible. To never see that creature again.

As he ran, Fang Haoyan glanced over his shoulder. When he saw Lin Xiao gaining on him, his face turned ashen.

“Monster! That monster!”

His legs nearly gave out, but the memory of Lin Xiao’s cold and methodical slaughter in the hall drove him to push past his limits, forcing his body to run faster.

Unfortunately, he barely managed fifty more meters before feeling a sharp pain in his back.

Fang Haoyan fell flat on his face, sprawling on the ground in a humiliating fashion.

Lin Xiao approached him slowly, his gaze icy.

“Wait… wait! I have something to tell you!” Fang Haoyan screamed as Lin Xiao drew nearer, his eyes filled with dread. “It’s about that girl, Yuan Yu!”

Lin Xiao paused, his brow knitting.

“What is it?” he asked coolly.

Though Lin Xiao wasn’t certain what Fang Haoyan meant, anything concerning Yuan Yu warranted clarification.

Seeing Lin Xiao halt, Fang Haoyan sighed in relief. It seemed Yuan Yu held great importance to this monster.

“This is about her safety. If you let me go, I’ll tell you everything,” Fang Haoyan offered hastily.

“Let you go?” Lin Xiao’s tone was chilling, his gaze penetrating. Fang Haoyan felt as if Lin Xiao could see straight through him.

“You still don’t understand your situation,” Lin Xiao said coldly. “No one bargains with me.”

“I’ll die either way!” Fang Haoyan retorted, forcing a defiant tone despite his fear. “But this information concerns her life. Do you dare take that risk?”

Lin Xiao’s expression remained calm, but his voice turned colder. “Die? You underestimate how creative I can be.”

A sense of foreboding crept over Fang Haoyan. “What… what are you going to do?”

Lin Xiao didn’t answer. Instead, he stepped closer, raising two fingers and pressing them into Fang Haoyan’s chest and arms in quick succession.

Fang Haoyan tried to dodge, but it was futile. Lin Xiao’s fingers struck with precision.

“You…” Fang Haoyan’s voice faltered as an unbearable sensation erupted across his body. It was both itchy and painful, spreading like wildfire.

“Ahhh! It hurts! It itches! Ahhh!”

Fang Haoyan clawed at his skin frantically, as if ants were crawling through his veins. The sensation grew worse, like thousands of needles pricking his nerves, followed by searing pain. He scratched himself so violently that his skin tore open, blood dripping to the ground. Yet he seemed oblivious to the damage, consumed by the torment.

His entire body was soon covered in bloody gashes. There wasn’t a single patch of intact skin left.

This was a technique Lin Xiao had mastered after breaking through to the Flowing Energy stage in his martial arts. By channeling fine threads of inner strength, he could manipulate the nerves, inducing agonizing sensations that made death seem like mercy.

Though there were other ways to achieve this effect, none were as efficient as this technique.

“Ahhh! I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything! Just kill me! Please! Kill me!”

In less than two minutes, Fang Haoyan broke down completely. He begged like a dog, tears streaming down his bloodied face.

Lin Xiao’s expression remained impassive. There was no trace of pity in his gaze.

Fang Haoyan’s actions—attempting to kidnap Yuan Yu—had touched Lin Xiao’s most sacred boundary. For that, there would be no mercy.

Still, Fang Haoyan might hold valuable information.

Lin Xiao deactivated the inner strength coursing through Fang Haoyan’s body and said coldly, “Speak. What is this about?”

Fang Haoyan trembled, his eyes unfocused. “It wasn’t just Wan Shixuan. Hundred Seats Society took on a mission from an international organization. They tasked us with finding and capturing that girl, Yuan Yu.”

Lin Xiao’s expression darkened.

“An international organization? What else do you know?”

Fang Haoyan took a deep, shuddering breath. “A few months ago, a masked man stormed into the Hundred Seat Society. He defeated us single-handedly and gave us this task. He left this photo.”

From his chest pocket, Fang Haoyan produced a photograph.

Lin Xiao’s gaze sharpened as he snatched the photo. His eyes flickered with sorrow and rage when he saw the image: a young Yuan Yu and her brother Yuan Yong.

The photo was the same one stolen by the mercenaries who had killed Yuan Yong.

Everything clicked into place for Lin Xiao. This so-called international organization was undoubtedly behind his brother’s murder.

Now, they were targeting Yuan Yu.