Xiao Lin felt quite uncomfortable being stared at and frowned. Such a handsome and wealthy man was indeed rare, while the woman standing beside him, although looking beautiful, still showed traces of age to another woman's eye—a case of an old cow eating young grass.

"Do you have a problem?" Picking up on the disdain from the young girl, Xiao Lin's expression darkened. He naturally placed a hand on Dan Qing's waist, pulling her closer in a display of intimacy.

"Oh, oh, oh, no problem." The young girl realized her faux pas from Xiao Lin's obvious anger. After quickly finishing the paperwork, her eyes lingered on the retreating figure, thinking that she wasn't any worse than that older woman and fantasizing that she might be able to replace her.

Dan Qing laughed softly at Xiao Lin's childish behavior. "She's just a kid, why take it so seriously?"

"Being so opportunistic and filthy at such a young age deserves a lesson. Besides, how could I allow anyone to slander your purity?" Xiao Lin said, stepping into the elevator with Dan Qing in tow, while the shadow following them suddenly vanished.

"When we get out, go straight to the parking spot and remember not to look back." Xiao Lin handed the car keys to Dan Qing. "Once you're in the car, lock the doors, and no matter what, don't open them. The car has features to withstand explosions and shocks. As long as you stay inside, they can't do anything to you." He quietly warned Dan Qing, noting that the underground parking garage would be the perfect place to strike. If it were just him, dealing with these people wouldn't be a problem, but with Dan Qing there, she'd be a distraction because he would want to protect her.

"What about you?" Dan Qing didn't ask why—there must be a reason for Xiao Lin's careful instructions, some lurking danger.

"Do you think anything will happen to me?" Xiao Lin flashed a confident smile at Dan Qing. "Head straight to the parking spot."

The elevator chimed as the door opened to an empty ground floor. Dan Qing gave Xiao Lin a glance before walking towards the parking lot, and Xiao Lin followed slowly, lighting a cigarette. From the corner of an eye, through a reflection, he spotted a shadow behind a column and let out a cold laugh, cigarette between his fingers, trailing behind Dan Qing.

"Target spotted, moving toward your position." The person hidden in the shadows cut off the communication after hearing the report and stealthily retreated to another position to attack from behind. However, when he looked up, Xiao Lin was already gone. Startled, he sensed a faint chill at his back and instinctively ducked, dodging Xiao Lin's strike.

"Hmph, decent skill." Xiao Lin dropped the comment as he lunged forward when the opponent tried to flip over in retaliation, knocking him unconscious with a knife-hand strike. As he turned the man's face, he appeared to be from the Middle East, with dark skin and a bushy beard. Xiao Lin used his fingers to search the man's clothes for identification.

Hearing a hissing sound, Xiao Lin looked up to see a thick snake snaking down from the exhaust pipe, flicking its crimson tongue.

A snake again? Considering the Miao siblings' previous poison techniques, Xiao Lin was not about to think it was a resurrection. Each assassin had their specialties, and every method under the sun was present. The man he just dealt with was probably a third-rate player. Watching the venomous snake, Xiao Lin deduced that they were likely targeting Consort Ling—not necessarily the same group, but from the same organization.

Yi had mentioned that each region's 'Black Crow' had different techniques and that this assassin organization favored moving in groups.

The snake hesitated briefly before darting toward Xiao Lin at an incredible speed, navigating the exhaust ducts with fluid ease on its two-meter-plus length.

Xiao Lin discreetly unbuckled his leather belt and gripped a short blade. The Miao siblings made use of poison through snakes, but this one seemed trained as a killing machine. He needed to quickly identify the person behind the controls; he didn't want to wrestle with an ugly, slippery thing.

At some point, a rancid breeze had moved in behind him, and Xiao Lin sidestepped with nimble footwork. Snakes may be effective tools, but they are easily spotted because their distinct odor gives away their position.

Xiao Lin concealed himself behind a car, closed his eyes, and listened to the atmosphere around him. There were only a few methods to control a snake, the most common being a short whistle, using sound to direct its actions. This person was skilled; during the brief skirmish, Xiao Lin hadn't heard that sound. This enchanting art was rare, but that doesn't mean it was entirely inaudible; it just tended to be overlooked in noisy environments.

The airflow seemed to still as the snake stopped moving, curled up somewhere in the air vent, while the whistler also went silent.

This oversight furrowed Xiao Lin's brow. The individual obviously knew him well. With this realization, Xiao Lin grew more suspicious of the person's identity. It was clear he hadn't acted aggressively for a reason—to lure him out. There was probably more than one person waiting. Did they truly want him dead this badly?

Xiao Lin stepped out from his hiding spot, intentionally pausing under the brightest area with his short blade in hand. He picked a random direction to stare at; to spot him immediately required a high vantage point.

Under these unique structural conditions, the control room was the optimal location. So he made a face at the nearby security camera, quickly sprang to an air duct, deciding to take the initiative since the other party wouldn't.

Having determined the snake's lair, Xiao Lin stepped on the blade and upon nearing the snake's vulnerable point, its head sprang up and attacked evenly. Xiao Lin snorted at the predictable response, opting not to dodge as most would but to move toward the snake's head. The overpowering stench would be incapacitating to others, but not to Xiao Lin.

Feigning with his left hand, he drew the snake's head upward, exposing its weakness. Xiao Lin took advantage to crouch and retract his left hand while the snake, used to the left-hand feint, coiled to follow. "Down!"

With this shouted command, it was too late to turn back. Xiao Lin pivoted on the exhaust pipe and decisively drove the short blade into the snake's vulnerable spot, burying it to the hilt.

Not a drop of blood spattered, nor did the body struggle; it dropped lifelessly to the ground. Xiao Lin jumped down from the exhaust pipe, walked over to the snake's head, and after retrieving the short blade, sliced it cleanly, hoisting its head in his hand. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote and provide support. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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