At that moment, a voice came into his ears:
"Hehe, you've put it on. This is specially prepared for you. With this mask on, I can talk to you directly. The glasses on the mask are made from special lenses — not only can they change color, but they're also a microcomputer. Whatever data you need to check, just tell me and I can input it into the mask. It'll display right on the lenses. Alright, enough talking, come down now."
Shi Aotian felt his blood surge and his heart race with excitement. After turning off the main lights, he opened the window, confirmed there was no one around, and leapt directly from the 23rd floor. Three seconds later, he landed gracefully with a backflip, then dashed forward like an arrow leaving the bow, his figure instantly swallowed by the darkness.
When he reached the meeting point designated by Mo Junyan, he got into the car.
Mo Junyan, who was driving, glanced at Shi Aotian and smiled. "Looking pretty sharp. Do you like what I picked out for you?"
"Very much," Shi Aotian replied with satisfaction.
"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. There's a watch in the box — it contains a steel wire and a gun," Mo Junyan reminded him.
"I know, but those are useless to me. I don't need them," Shi Aotian said confidently.
"I knew you'd say that. But you'll find them useful someday. And another thing — your belt has three pin-like buckles. From left to right, they're a mini-bomb, a smoke grenade, and a gas grenade. Use them only when necessary. Just take one off and throw it, that's it. Simple enough, right?" Mo Junyan said with pride.
"Enough chatter. Tell me the target, location, and time — and any special requirements," Shi Aotian said, already slipping into mission mode.
"The target is Duan Ouyang, owner of the Tianpeng Nightclub. Location — his office. Time — start at 2:05, finish in five minutes. Exit through the back door and run south; I'll be there to pick you up," Mo Junyan said sternly. "We'll arrive in about 20 minutes, which will be around 1:45. Use the extra time to survey the area."
"Understood," Shi Aotian replied coldly, taking off the mask.
All of this was under the control of one man — the Blacklist Young Master. At that moment, holding a glass of red wine, he smiled and murmured to himself, "The show's about to begin. Hmph, after tonight the Blacklist will be in an uproar. Aka's death came at just the right time. This is exactly how I like it — kill, and let blood consecrate it all. Hahaha!"
Inside the Tianpeng Nightclub, the lights glittered and the music roared. It was a massive entertainment complex combining bathhouses, massage parlors, leisure lounges, restaurants, TV rooms, and dance halls. Its owner, Duan Ouyang, was a well-known figure in QD City, with connections in both the underworld and official circles, which made his business thrive. On top of that, his underground sales of ecstasy tablets brought in profits that would make his competitors green with envy.
He also kept a crew of hired muscle specifically for nightclub security. If any unruly guest refused to behave after polite persuasion, they would be thrown out with extreme force.
Having made so much money, Duan Ouyang had grown increasingly arrogant and domineering. Many people had already started to dislike him, and now there were rumors going around that someone wanted him dead. But so far, they were just words — no one had dared to take action.
His partner, "Old Wolf," had been working with him in the ecstasy trade, but recently, disputes over profit had caused friction. Old Wolf felt that Duan Ouyang was ungrateful and greedy, and the more they worked together, the angrier he became. He wished he could get rid of Duan Ouyang entirely. Tonight, he had gathered nearly a hundred men to surround Duan, determined to teach him a lesson and smash up his place. And Old Wolf was no amateur — he meant business.
The car came to a stop, arriving at the main entrance of the Tianpeng Nightclub right on schedule at 1:40 a.m. Although it was already late at night, the place was still brilliantly lit. All kinds of people, drunk and laughing, stumbled in and out, exchanging playful banter at the roadside entrance.
"This is it. You see it?" Mo Junyan said casually from behind the wheel.
Shi Aotian was carefully observing the exterior surroundings.
"Need anything?" Mo Junyan asked when she noticed his silence. "If there's any difficulty, just tell me. This is your first mission, so I'll be here with you. From now on, you'll be handling missions on your own."
Shi Aotian quietly put on his silver mask and said slowly, "I don't need anything."
"Have you memorized the target's face from the photo and all the information?" Mo Junyan, acting as handler for the first time, couldn't help fussing over him.
Shi Aotian showed her no courtesy. "You've been talking too much today."
"You—!" Mo Junyan's face flushed purple with anger, her eyes glaring at him. "Kindness taken for donkey's liver and lungs, huh? Listen, you go in at exactly 2:00. For now, sit here and stay put."
Shi Aotian didn't reply, simply following her instructions and sitting quietly in the car, waiting as the minutes ticked by.
Five minutes later, at 1:50, suddenly large numbers of people poured in from all directions. Every one of them carried a murderous expression, armed with sharp weapons — some even had homemade guns. They moved menacingly toward the Tianpeng Nightclub, easily numbering over a hundred. The people at the entrance, seeing this, immediately bolted in fear.
"What's going on?" Mo Junyan asked, startled by the scene. It wasn't that she was afraid of these people — she was worried the mission's timing would be disrupted.
"How should I know?" Shi Aotian remained calm as ever.
"The intel I got from the organization didn't say there'd be this many people tonight. Judging by this, it's not looking good. Can you still handle it?" Mo Junyan's palms were starting to sweat.
Shi Aotian simply scanned the area, coolly observing. "I can handle it."
"They don't seem to be coming for us. Look — they've gone inside. Looks like they're here to wreck the place," Mo Junyan analyzed cautiously.
Sure enough, she was right. The large group rushed into Tianpeng, and soon the air was filled with angry shouts, the sound of things breaking, and people screaming. In no time, the nightclub's dancing crowd was fleeing for their lives, women's screams and cries of panic cutting through the chaos.
This was all a "gift" from Duan Ouyang's "old friend."
"Boss! They're here to smash up the place!" a young man rushed in, panicked. "I'll go get the brothers so we can fight back."
In his office, watching an adult film, Duan Ouyang waved his hand, signaling him to leave.
"But, boss—" the young man began, not understanding, when Duan Ouyang cut him off.
"Get out. What's the rush? Let them smash whatever they want. Tonight, none of them will leave alive. Go shut the main doors."
The young man froze for a moment, then quickly understood, nodding before running out. The reason Duan Ouyang could speak so leisurely was that he had paid a huge sum to hire a Blacklist assassin. What was there to be afraid of? Tonight, every one of Old Wolf's men was going to die. That's why he still had the leisure to sit there watching porn.
"Perfect timing… hehe, the show's about to start." Duan Ouyang stood up, pulled open the curtains, and looked down.
The nightclub's main dance hall was already in chaos. The customers had all fled, leaving only over a hundred men below, brandishing weapons and shouting as they smashed everything in sight.
"Duan! Get your ass out here! Not even the King of Heaven can save you tonight!" roared Old Wolf, the leader, shouting through a DJ's microphone.
"Smash it, yell all you want. I don't feel a thing. Break it all — I can buy new ones." Duan Ouyang let out a sinister laugh. He immediately summoned the four bodyguards who had been with him the longest into his office so they could all enjoy the show together.
At 1:55 a.m., the tightly closed main doors of the Tianpeng Nightclub suddenly swung open. In stepped a man with golden hair, dressed in black, wearing a skull-faced mask, his hands casually tucked into his pockets.
The eyes of Old Wolf's hundred or so men were instantly drawn to him. The entire front hall and dance floor fell silent as everyone watched this strange figure walk slowly toward the bar, sit down, and then lift his leg to kick a glass into the air. The glass spun upward, then began to fall vertically.
With a sharp twist, the man lashed out with his leg into a perfect split-like "1" shape, catching the falling glass neatly on the sole of his foot. Gasps of astonishment swept through the crowd — even Old Wolf was stunned.
The man gave the crowd a faint smile, then flicked his ankle. The liquor from the glass poured down in a steady stream while the glass itself stayed firmly stuck to the sole of his shoe. Tilting his head back, he drank every drop midair without spilling a single one. The crowd erupted into an uproar.
This man was none other than "Heartbreaker Kick" Bi Fengyu, a killer who never used his hands. Duan Ouyang had spent a fortune on the black market to hire him — ranked eighth on the Blacklist.
"How can it be him…?" In the car outside, Mo Junyan's eyes narrowed as she saw the masked man with his hands in his pockets walk into the nightclub. A wave of bad premonition rose in her chest.
"Who is he?" Shi Aotian also sensed the overwhelming killing intent.
Mo Junyan snapped back to her senses, looking at Shi Aotian with solemn eyes. "Listen to me carefully. No matter what happens, your target is only Duan Ouyang. Everything else — you don't see it, you don't know it. I'm not completely sure if that man is really him, but you'd better be careful and avoid conflict. Understand? No matter what, you must come back alive. The time's almost here. Go. I'll be waiting for you on the south side."
Seeing how serious Mo Junyan was, Shi Aotian nodded and got out of the car. He could feel the danger radiating from that man — at least twice as lethal as Aka. The killing aura he gave off seemed to shroud the entire street. Mo Junyan was probably right, so Shi Aotian decided to finish the job quickly to avoid complications.
With his preparations complete, Shi Aotian began his move, striding into the Tianpeng Nightclub now blanketed in murderous intent.
"Who the hell are you? You got a death wish? I brought my brothers here to wreck this place! If you want to live, get lost!" Old Wolf shouted at Bi Fengyu, who had just finished his drink. Immediately, over a hundred of his men raised their weapons and echoed the threat.
Bi Fengyu, still seated on the bar's swivel chair, ignored them entirely. He simply glanced at the watch on his wrist and said lazily, "One more minute. Enjoy it while you can."
"What the hell are you babbling about?" Old Wolf shouted furiously, raising his homemade pistol and aiming it right at Bi Fengyu's forehead. "I'll blow your head off! Stop acting cool, take that damn mask off your face so Grandpa here can see what kind of trash you really are!"
"Thirty seconds," Bi Fengyu replied, still ignoring him, eyes fixed leisurely on the ticking seconds of his watch.
At that moment, the tightly shut nightclub doors were pulled open again — or rather, broken open. The newcomer was Shi Aotian.
Once again, every gaze in the room was drawn toward the entrance. A man in a full black leather outfit and a silver mask strode briskly inside.
"Hehe… so you've finally shown up. It's been a long time since I've met someone who excites me." Bi Fengyu had already sensed the wild, predatory killing intent in Shi Aotian's presence. With a single guess, he knew another Blacklist assassin was nearby.
Shi Aotian paid him no attention, instead walking calmly to a dark corner and sitting down with casual ease. It was exactly 2:00 a.m. — five minutes before he was to act.
"Time's up," Bi Fengyu said with an evil grin. His leg shot out, striking Old Wolf's gun hand. There was a sharp crack, and Old Wolf screamed in agony, his pistol clattering to the floor as the bones in his hand were completely shattered.
Bi Fengyu's mastery of legwork was truly unmatched — swift, fluid, and devastating. Seeing their leader injured, Old Wolf's men roared and charged at him, filling the air with shouts, the swish of blades, and the chaos of combat.
But to Bi Fengyu, no attacker was unwelcome. His legs moved with powerful gusts of wind, each kick sending someone flying. His strikes came so fast they blurred, impossible to track, and wherever his leg landed came the sound of bones breaking and screams of agony. The more severe injuries saw whole arms or legs smashed clean off, leaving bodies mangled beyond recognition. Blood sprayed across the room, mingling with the cries of the wounded.
The hundred or so men had no chance to fight back — even those with guns found them useless in such chaos. Bi Fengyu's kicks were almost as fast as bullets.
From the dark corner, Shi Aotian watched coldly, unable to help but sigh inwardly: I didn't expect there to be such a master in this world. His kicking technique is beyond my own — the speed is impressive, but compared to my Shadowstep, it still falls short. However, in terms of power and precision, every kick carries devastating force. My Blade Hand might only match him evenly.
As the minutes passed, by the five-minute mark, nearly every limb of Old Wolf's hundred men had been broken by Bi Fengyu. They now lay scattered on the floor, writhing in pain, the blood soaking the entire floor red.
"The game is almost over," Bi Fengyu said elegantly to the groaning men. Then, with a powerful stomp to the chest of the nearest one — crack! — the floor itself split, and the man's body went limp, sent by Bi Fengyu's "Heartbreaker Kick" straight to the Western Paradise.
By now, Shi Aotian had risen to his feet. Watching Bi Fengyu cruelly toy with these men, he felt an unexpected flicker of pity. If you're going to kill them, at least make it quick, he thought. I didn't expect such a needlessly cruel method.
"Shi Aotian, move faster. You're already thirty seconds over — you only have five minutes for your mission. Understand?" Mo Junyan's voice came through the mask on Shi Aotian's face.
"Understood," Shi Aotian replied, striding through the crowd of groaning, broken men on the floor and brushing past Bi Fengyu.
"Duan Ouyang is in the office on the fifth floor — go, now. And listen, from the footage recorded through your computer glasses, I've already confirmed his identity. I'll explain when you get back. For now, it's best you don't fight Bi Fengyu," Mo Junyan's warning continued in his ear.
Shi Aotian didn't hesitate. Clearing his mind of all distractions, he dashed up to the fifth floor. Turning a corner, he immediately sensed someone at the far end room and moved toward it without pause.
Swish, swish — two slashes from his Blade Hand cut the office door into the shape of an "X."
Inside, Duan Ouyang, still watching an adult film, was startled by the sound of the door breaking. His four bodyguards instantly moved to form a line in front of him.
Shi Aotian swept the room with a glance and stepped inside.
Duan Ouyang barked, "Stop him! Take him out!"
The four guards reached into their black suits for their guns — but Shi Aotian would never give them the chance. In a blur of Shadowstep, he flashed past them. Each of the four suddenly felt a chill on their necks. Instinctively, they reached up to touch the spot — and blood burst out like fountains, spraying in all directions.
This time, Duan Ouyang was truly terrified. He collapsed onto the sofa, wetting his pants, legs trembling uncontrollably. "You… you… I beg you—" Before he could finish, Shi Aotian had already passed by him in another burst of Shadowstep and stopped just behind him. Duan Ouyang's bulging eyes froze in place, his body still holding its last posture.
Shi Aotian stood still for two seconds, then slowly reached out with his right hand, gripping Duan Ouyang's hair. With a gentle lift — shhk — his head separated from his body. The corpse slumped to the floor, followed by a flood of blood from the neck, quickly spreading across the ground.
"Well done, Shi Aotian. Now get down here — you've got two and a half minutes left," Mo Junyan's voice urged through the mask's comm system.
"You saw that?" Shi Aotian asked calmly.
"Yes. Your mask is actually a custom-built microcomputer. Through your lenses, I can see everything you do," Mo Junyan replied.
Shi Aotian said no more. Carrying Duan Ouyang's head, he raced down from the fifth floor at top speed. By then, the dance floor of the Tianpeng Nightclub had already become a river of blood. Every one of Old Wolf's hundred men had been slain by Bi Fengyu — all dead from his Heartbreaker Kick.
"Fast work, eh? Hahaha!" Bi Fengyu said, visibly exhilarated by the sight of so much blood.
"Pervert," Shi Aotian spat, hurling the severed head hard toward Bi Fengyu.
Bi Fengyu's laughter stopped instantly. Leaping into the air, he intercepted it mid-flight, delivering a powerful kick that shattered the head into pieces.
Both men could sense the other's strength, their blood boiling at the prospect of a fight. Yet they also knew this was a mission, and the organization's orders had to be followed. The task was complete — provoking an unnecessary conflict now could bring unforeseen trouble to the Blacklist and the organization.
So Bi Fengyu didn't engage Shi Aotian further. He simply turned and left.