In the pitch-black room, Lin Xiao held Su Qingning tightly. Perhaps she was genuinely terrified of the dark, as the girl in his arms was trembling violently.

"Don't be afraid, it might just be a blackout. It should be over soon," Lin Xiao said softly.

But he didn't even believe his own words. This was Jinhai City, after all—a city known for its ruthlessness. A random blackout was impossible. Something was definitely wrong. If Su Qingning weren't here, he could have investigated properly. But there she was, trembling in his arms, utterly terrified of the dark.

Whether it was his embrace or his words of comfort, her fear gradually began to fade, and her body stopped trembling. He knew she had calmed down.

Just as he was about to call Tie Shankao to handle the situation, the faint sound of footsteps came from outside the villa.

Even in the darkness, Lin Xiao could see with perfect clarity. He spotted two young men, both at the Martial King Level. An air of righteousness clung to their faces.

Asura Hall, Lin Xiao realized.

Su Qingning was still in his arms, but the men were drawing closer. A fierce killing intent seeped through the doors and windows, locking onto him, ready to strike a fatal blow at any moment.

"Honey, I'm going to check what's going on," Lin Xiao said with a smile.

"Please be quick," Su Qingning said weakly.

"Alright."

He gently placed her back in her chair at the dining table and handed her the phone.

"Honey, just play on your phone for a bit. I'll be right back."

Su Qingning obediently nodded.

Lin Xiao stood up and walked out of the villa. The two men approaching were startled to see him emerge, clearly not expecting him to walk right out to them. Ignoring the surprise in their eyes, he led them away from the house and deeper into the courtyard. The two men exchanged a dubious look before following.

Lin Xiao stopped behind the rockery in the villa's courtyard.

Su Qingning shouldn't be able to see them from here.

Seeing Lin Xiao stop, the two men halted as well.

"You're from the Asura Hall?" Lin Xiao asked bluntly.

A flicker of astonishment crossed their faces. They clearly hadn't expected him to identify them so directly.

"Kid, who are you?" one of them asked.

Lin Xiao ignored him, instead asking coldly, "Did Xue Chongshan send you?"

The two were even more startled.

"Kid, who the hell are you?" the same man asked again.

"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that if you don't want to die, you should get out of here now," Lin Xiao's voice turned glacial.

The two men glanced at each other again, and a hint of mockery appeared in their eyes.

"Kid, you sure talk big. I heard you're nothing but a beggar. So I have to ask, where does a guy like you get off talking so tough?"

The words had barely left his mouth when Lin Xiao's hand shot out like lightning and clamped around his neck. In the darkness, Lin Xiao's eyes glinted like drawn swords, ready to snuff out the life of this piece of trash at any moment.

"What about now?" Lin Xiao asked, his voice dripping with ice.

The situation had reversed in an instant. Both men, who had been sneering just a moment ago, were now wide-eyed and pale. The one in Lin Xiao's grasp stared at him in utter terror.

"Sir, please! Let our junior brother go! We're just following orders. We didn't come here looking for death!"

Lin Xiao wasn't a man who enjoyed killing. If they had been from the Ghost Medicine Sect, he would have acted without a second thought. But these men were from the Asura Hall, which was part of the Martial Alliance. In a way, that almost made them his own people.

Lin Xiao released the man's throat. The man eagerly gasped for fresh air.

"You can leave now," Lin Xiao said coldly.

But the moment the words left his lips, the very man who had been begging for mercy suddenly produced a sharp blade. With a ferocious snarl, he lunged, stabbing at Lin Xiao's vitals with lightning speed. An ordinary person would have been killed instantly.

But Lin Xiao was no ordinary man. He was faster.

Just as he was about to obliterate the attacker with a palm strike, the other man—the one he'd just released—also lunged. They moved with terrifying coordination. One blade aimed for his heart while the other man's fist shot toward his head. Their faces were twisted into savage, venomous masks.

But unfortunately for them, they were mistaken.

In the way of the martial artist, cultivation level is the absolute law.

Though Lin Xiao was only at the Divine Martial Realm, killing two Martial King Realm cultivators was as effortless as slicing a watermelon with a dragon-slaying knife.

"A pair of clueless fools," Lin Xiao sneered.

The words had barely left his lips.

BANG! BANG!

The heads of the two men exploded instantly. Their bodies slumped to the ground, as limp as overcooked noodles.

Without a second glance, Lin Xiao called Tie Shankao. Tie Shankao answered instantly.

"Where are you?"

"Master, I'm right outside your villa!"

"Perfect. Bring some men and clean up this mess," Lin Xiao said nonchalantly.

"Master, what happened?" Tie Shankao asked, his curiosity piqued.

Lin Xiao wasn't surprised by the question. After all, the two would-be assassins were at the Martial King Level. Tie Shankao, despite being a Martial Artist, had a much lower cultivation. It was only natural that he hadn't detected their infiltration.

"Two lowlifes tried to assassinate me. I took care of them," Lin Xiao said casually.

A shudder ran through Tie Shankao. He was utterly shocked and terrified. He didn't know Lin Xiao's true identity, only that even his own superior, Xiao Shixiong, treated the man with the utmost respect. This meant Lin Xiao was no ordinary person. And now, an assassination attempt had happened on his watch. If Xiao Shixiong found out, there was no telling how he'd be punished. Even if his superior didn't punish him, Tie Shankao could never forgive himself.

"Master, I understand. I'm on my way!"

"Alright," Lin Xiao said. "And check the villa's wiring while you're at it."

Saying that, Lin Xiao hung up and hurried back inside the villa. Even though he wasn't gone long, he was worried Su Qingning might have gotten scared.

Inside, Su Qingning was still sitting obediently in her chair at the dining table.

He walked over to her. Tie Shankao and his men would be here soon. If Su Qingning found out what happened, she'd be terrified. He made a snap decision.

Without another word, he swept her up into his arms and started for the stairs.

Su Qingning's heart pounded wildly. "Lin Xiao, what—what are you doing?"

"Time for bed, of course," Lin Xiao said with a grin.

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