Chapter 7 – The Last Person to Kill (Part Three)

Leng Yinghan was so young, around twenty years old. He was lean, capable, calm, and steady. His appearance was unremarkable, yet he had already secured a place among the top ten assassins.

From what she knew, Leng Yinghan had entered the Stronghold only five years ago. Rising from obscurity to initially showing his brilliance, then rapidly ascending to the Demon-class. It was no small feat.

Next, each person reported on the completion status of their missions.

Ru Ye’s missions had always been completed very well. Xuanyuan Guiren looked quite satisfied and rewarded her with an extra dose of antidote, worth more than a million taels of gold.

The Stronghold was always clear in its rewards and punishments. Those who failed their missions were severely punished, while those who completed them were richly rewarded. That was why the assassins fought so hard, no one liked punishment.

Ye Shengxiang was particularly fond of this rule.

Two people had failed to complete their missions on time. According to protocol, those who failed to complete on time would have their antidote delayed.

Every assassin in the Stronghold, from the day they entered, was forced to take a deadly poison. Every half year, they had to take the antidote on time, otherwise they would endure the agony of ten thousand ants devouring their hearts until death.

This was the iron-fisted yet sweetened method Xuanyuan Guiren used to firmly control his assassins.

The person who developed these poisons and antidotes was Han Mouji—Xuanyuan Guiren’s most trusted confidant and the steward of the Stronghold.

Within the Stronghold, he stood above a thousand people, with only one above him.

Ru Ye listened quietly to everyone’s reports. She paid close attention to anything that might be related to her.

Xuanyuan Guiren declared, “Those who have completed their missions may receive the antidote. Those who have not will have theirs delayed by three days.”

Then he closed his eyes and sank into a deep thought.

When the poison took effect, every day felt like a year. Three days of suffering seemed as long as three years. Almost every assassin had endured such pain at some point.

They waited silently for Xuanyuan Guiren’s next move. Whenever he wore such an expression, it often meant he had something important to arrange.

Xuanyuan Guiren pondered for quite a while before opening his eyes. His gaze sharpened as he stared at the most outstanding products of the Stronghold before him.

“The Stronghold needs to kill someone,” he said slowly.

Who could make the master of the Stronghold, known as the “Grim Reaper of the martial arts world,” so cautious and serious?

“The target this time—the Dragon King!”

At the sound of that name, even these cold-blooded top-tier assassins could not help but change their expressions.

Although Ru Ye’s expression remained unchanged, her heart gave a faint tug.

To kill the Dragon King, the man whose mere cough would shake the martial arts world to its core for three days?

All she could say was that the Stronghold’s audacity was truly immense!

“The price offered this time is—fifty million taels!”

This was an astronomical sum. Based on the commission the assassins could take, completing the mission would earn them ten million taels.

This temptation was so great, and also great in its danger. Like the others, she remained silent.

No matter how much money, it could not compare to one’s own life. Every assassin understood the risk of accepting this mission.

None of them were certain they could kill the Dragon King.

In every place and every circle, there is one or a very few people who stand at a height beyond the reach of others.

The Dragon King was undoubtedly the highest peak in the martial arts world, standing at its summit.

The Drago King was not the king of dragons, he simply had the surname Long (dragon).

No one could say how many years ago, he had already been a towering figure who looked down upon the martial arts world with pride. By now, he was long the most powerful man in the martial arts world.

The countless legends about him were known to everyone in the martial arts world, yet no one could fully recount or clearly explain them.

He was neither purely righteous nor purely evil. He appeared and disappeared unpredictably.

It was said that when he was still a child, he had already made friends with heroes across the land. He opened escort agencies, established money shops, dealt in smuggled goods and land transport, carried out assassinations, pursued fugitives, bought low and sold high—even smuggled overseas, plundered tombs, stole treasures. He dared to do anything.

His enterprises grew larger and larger. He encountered countless difficulties, but he always managed to turn danger into opportunities.

After amassing great wealth, he purchased large tracts of land in the desolate southern wilderness and built his own castle. On the surface, he engaged in trade. Behind the scenes, he ran many businesses that could not be made public. His influence was so great that it extended throughout the martial arts world and even overseas.

Because of its remote location, nestled among mountains, his castle was easy to defend and hard to attack, rich in resources, and bustling with many enterprises. It ended up attracting a great number of desperate martial artists and ordinary people seeking a livelihood.

As time passed, a thriving small town grew up around the castle. He had become the undisputed lord of this town.

No one could say just how much wealth he possessed, nor how deep his martial arts skills were.

Over time, martial artists gradually forgot his original name and his past. They respectfully called him the “Dragon King”, a figure as powerful, noble, and commanding as a dragon king. They called his castle the “Dragon Palace.”