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Three!

Only three people came from a lower floor to the stairwell, and they didn't come up immediately.

"FUCK! Why wear pantyhose? Makes me look like a pervert! Didn't the surveillance images on the upper floors switch to normal static images?" A voice cursed in a low tone.

Another voice immediately chuckled, "A woman wearing pantyhose can conquer a man, a man wearing pantyhose can conquer a bank."

"Conquer my ass!" the first voice continued to complain.

At this moment, another person who had remained silent spoke up, his voice a bit muffled, likely because he already had the pantyhose on. "Wan Liming, Chen Xingye! Keep whining and you won't follow me anymore!"

Li Yan immediately understood, it was Liu Yunqing! Except for the new recruits joining in the recent years, he knew the real names and codenames of everyone else in the organization. Wan Liming and Chen Xingye were also veteran assassins with their internal strength rated at "Blade" class. This was second-tier, and Li Yan hadn't interacted with them much before, unable to recognize their voices. But he was very familiar with Liu Yunqing, who was already first-tier "Fist" class, and instantly recognized his voice.

This also confirmed his unsaid suspicion—there would be defections, and it surely wasn't just a few people; they might also take away some lower-ranking members.

Wan Liming, who had started complaining, and Chen Xingye, who had been joking, both stopped speaking and diligently put the pantyhose over their heads.

Seeing them obey, Liu Yunqing, whose authority was respected, calmed down a bit. He continued to instruct, "From now on, absolutely do not use real names when you speak! If you meet Peng and Feng, don't use real names either! Avoid anything that might expose your identity!"

"Mm."

He further explained, "Having you wear pantyhose is for your own good. We are not killing in the dark now; we're facing the target! What if someone recognizes you?"

"Boss," Chen Xingye probably wanted to call him Old Liu, but remembering not to reveal identities, he corrected it to boss. "Why not use a mask? A hat that covers the face would be more comfortable."

"Yeah, now... hehe... looking at you guys, you all look like perverts." Wan Liming couldn't help but laugh.

Liu Yunqing snorted coldly, "What if you're holding a hostage in front of a camera and he crazily pulls off your mask?"

"I see! This damn pantyhose distorts the face, even I find it hard to take it off once it's on." Chen Xingye realized.

"And it adds more menace! Normal people fear perverts!" Wan Liming, after refusing initially, started getting used to this look, though uncomfortable, not seeing himself but finding the others hilarious in their perverted guise.

"Remember! We're not killing for money anymore. This mission is simpler, and rewards, if successful, will be far greater than any bounty."

Liu Yunqing's words filled Wan Liming and Chen Xingye with eager anticipation.

"Remember to be careful! I have a bad premonition! We must not fail this mission!"

"Don't worry!"

...

The three men, their faces already distorted by the pantyhose, sped up their climb upstairs. Very soon, they noticed a figure in the upper hallway, immediately aiming their guns!

Wan Liming and Chen Xingye both looked at Liu Yunqing, waiting for his order to kill.

Liu Yunqing was completely taken aback. As their footsteps echoed, the lights above them came on, revealing the man who suddenly appeared—no, who had been waiting for them along the way.

King!

He finally understood that the ominous feeling that just surfaced wasn't from worrying about the future but from the tangible pressure from within, King!

The King of Assassins! The myth of the organization! Vanished for two years, rumored to have retired, rumored to battle alone, rumored to be dying of illness... In short, he had been gone for two years, no one within the organization knew of except Queen knew of his whereabouts, yet he was unexpectedly waiting for them here on this ordinary night!

Liu Yunqing felt a bit of trembling, partly out of his accustomed respect for Li Yan's former mighty reputation, and partly due to his sudden appearance exuding an incredible power. Could he really be that divine?

Wan Liming complained about wearing a stockings cap, feeling uncomfortable and like a pervert, also because an inexplicable pressure made him panic unconsciously. Afraid that speaking out might invite ridicule from his comrades, he could only alleviate his unease this way, and Chen Xingye felt the same. At this moment, they all understood the pressure causing their fear probably originated from the man above them!

"Boss... should we kill him?" Wan Liming asked softly.

Although this operation aims to control all hostages and the environment, killing wasn't the primary objective. Yet with this man terrifying him, Old Wan believed leaving him alive would pose a significant threat.

Liu Yunqing shook his head, being one of the few in the organization besides the mysterious Queen who had contact with the King, he understood very well what the King's power meant. His undefeated myth wasn't achieved through mere passion, but through meticulous planning and strategy!

For him to appear here now, how could he not have a plan? Could the King of Assassins be so easily killed by underlings? Liu Yunqing felt they couldn't risk it and must investigate the reality further.

Liu Yunqing's decision left Wan Liming and Chen Xingye glancing at each other, wondering if he had been made dumb by the stocking. Such a dangerous character would certainly be a major obstacle to their mission; if they didn't kill him while having the upper hand, wouldn't they be asking for trouble?

However, they weren't fools either. After their initial astonishment, they quickly realized: given his audacity to stand alone here, how could he be unprepared?

For a moment, they felt their hair stand on end, as if someone had secretly aimed a sniper at them.

"King! Are you truly the God of Assassins, appearing here at this moment?" Liu Yunqing finally spoke.

As the leader, Li Yan knew all their information, including real names, but others only knew Li Yan and the Queen by these two code names.

King! The foreign term for monarch, the old K in a deck of cards, a very ordinary pronunciation potentially unclear to others, yet to Wan Liming and Chen Xingye, it sounded like a bolt from the blue!

The leader of the organization, the spiritual guide of all, increasingly deified King! Appearing here unexpectedly?

Instantly, their reactions weren't much better than Li Tianyu. The weight of the name, the shadow of the figure, this revealed identity shattered their confidence swiftly! Even holding guns, even facing an unarmed opponent, they felt as though confronting a mountain-like foe.

...

From the attitudes of Li Tianyu, including Shi Jian'en, along with the feedback from the Queen, Li Yan knew his absence in the past two years led to his reputation being increasingly exaggerated and somewhat mythical. If not utilizing the "Heart Demon," he was not some invincible superhuman; completing "S-Class" missions often relied on thorough research, careful planning, and strategic ambushes, among other tactics.

Like today's occurrence, one that emerged suddenly aiming to deal with multiple traitors while safeguarding other innocent lives, it was a challenge Li Yan had never faced before. Without preparation, he had no advantage.

Now, facing one first-rate and two second-rate assassins keeping distance, firing wildly, even Li Yan faced the danger of being shot down. His initial plan was to ambush, eliminating quickly! But upon recognizing Liu Yunqing's voice and the identities of Wan and Chen, he adjusted, deciding to leverage his status.

Even akin to Dongfang Bubai being besieged by experts, making use of prestige must be just right; one can't truly arrogantly treat oneself as a deity.

Once cracking their mental defenses through renown yet before burning all bridges, Li Yan spoke: "Liu Yunqing, Wan Liming, Chen Xingye... do you know why I appeared here?"

His question shifted their focus slightly, delaying their thoughts of a desperate battle.

Liu Yunqing gave a bitter smile: "Because we violated the organization's rules, in your eyes we're traitors, and you're here to clean house!"

This statement froze the atmosphere slightly.

Lofty Li Yan, gazing at the three below stairs, sighed: "If indeed so, do you think you'd have the time down there to mess around with stockings leisurely?"

Such a calm sentence made Liu Yunqing, Wan Liming, and Chen Xingye break out in cold sweat!

The King of Assassins was already waiting in the stairwell, observing all their actions unaware! Holding such an advantage, not to mention a consummate assassin like King, even an assassin of their level could easily eliminate them.

"Old... Old..." Wan Liming wanted to call 'Old King or Old K' to close the gap slightly but felt unqualified. Saying 'Boss,' he just did that with Liu Yunqing earlier, seemed less respectful. Hesitating, he finally spoke his intention: "...Are you here... to take us back?"

Li Yan closed his eyes and nodded. "You see the money but not the crisis beyond the money. Cultivating talent is not easy for me…"

Upon hearing Li Yan's words, Wan Liming and Chen Xingye were a little moved. While the benefits this time were considerable, facing King, they lacked the fighting spirit; if he was willing, they'd rather obediently follow him back for punishment.

After a moment's silence, Liu Yunqing coldly said: "Can we really go back? Can a traitor return as before? The road is our own choice! Doing our job, today might be here, tomorrow not certain, today let me challenge your old K's myth!" (To be continued, for further development please visit www.qidian.com, more chapters, support the author, support legal reading!)

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