Leng Xuenyi's cool silver eyes drifted over them until they settled on Lin Fang. A faint smile tugged at her lips, spotting him. "Didn't expect you to lease my building, Lin Fang. What a coincidence."

"You remember my name?" Lin Fang stared at her, blinking twice in a row.

"Well, your results at the Hunter Exam left an impression." She said softly, although shrugging her shoulders indifferently.

Lin Fang scratched his cheek, feeling awkward under her gaze.

Beside him, Li Liu narrowed her eyes, trying to place the woman's face. A second later, her expression shifted, eyes widening in recognition. "The Wolf Sovereign?" Her voice was tinged with disbelief.

Lin Fang glanced at her sharply. "You know her?"

"Of course I do," Li Liu answered quickly. "She is an A-rank Hunter who is known to have defeated an S-rank in a battle."

"Really?" As Lin Fang turned back to look at Xuenyi, the latter tilted her head slightly, studying Li Liu with mild curiosity. "You look familiar as well."

Li Liu straightened her posture and said with pride, "The name's Li Liu. A-class Monster Trainer."

"Mm." Xuenyi gave the faintest nod, then turned back to Lin Fang, her eyes sharp and assessing. "Anyway, you must have already heard everything you need to know from the agent. You wish to lease the store?"

Lin Fang cleared his throat, gathering himself. "Yes, but… we're not sure how the business will turn out in the long term. If it is possible, we would like to lease it for six months, with a preferential rental if we decide to renew once the lease is over."

The silence hung for only a moment before Xuenyi's lips curved faintly. "Deal."

Lin Fang and Li Liu finalized their decision on the spot. The deposit was wired, and the contract was signed digitally in front of the real estate agent. The building was now officially theirs for the next six months.

As the pair left through the lobby, chatting quietly about how to renovate and arrange each floor, Leng Xuenyi lingered by the glass wall of the penthouse. She tapped her tablet with her eyes fixed on the freshly stamped digital seal. Then, with a swipe, she rang a private number.

"Sir. Yes, the contract has been signed without any problems." Her voice was calm, though her gaze sharpened as she continued. "But there is something unusual. An S-rank Monster Trainer is partnering with the young master. She's concealing her true status, presenting herself as an A-rank. Her name is Li Liu. A co-tenant, and also… Zhi Yan's friend. It feels suspicious."

After a pause…

The party on the other side, a deep voice replied. "Her background is clear. However, we aren't sure of her affiliation. Keep an eye on her movements. Don't make any move on your own. Just report back to me."

"Understood."

Xuenyi hung up, spinning the smartphone while filled with thoughts.

*

Meanwhile, across the city, in a private suite at Zhongguo Medical Pavilion, Jiang Fei sat propped up on his bed. His pale face twisted in annoyance as his bodyguard gave him the file.

"5.4 million credits moved through his account a week ago. The money couldn't be traced to the source." Jiang Fei's brows furrowed. He leaned back, connecting the dots in his mind. "Based on the contacts he made, it is likely that bitch, Zhi Yan, is helping him with the money. There is also a report stating Zhi Yan climbed the Treasure Pavilion Tower, clearing 15 floors to acquire the Armor of Zygar. She didn't lack any treasures. So, it is likely she did it for him. That's the only plausible explanation."

His hand clenched into a fist over the blanket; a mix of anger and frustration was evident on his face.

Turning his head to the bodyguard, he firmly said. "I want Lin Fang dead."

The bodyguard hesitated, his tone careful as he replied. "Young Master… Madam Xiao's orders were clear. We are to observe him only. She promised she would deal with him in her own time."

Jiang Fei's eyes blazed with frustration. He slammed his fist against the bed railing, teeth grinding. "I don't care what my mother thinks! She only sees profits and her selfish desires. I want his life ended, no matter what it takes."

He leaned forward, whispering the words with venom. "Make a visit to the Shadows of Death Guild and tell them I'm placing a bounty."

*

Hours later, deep in the night, the Evergreen Apartments were as still as the night. By 3 a.m., the world outside was quiet, but above the skies of Apartment, a black shape hovered—its rotors muffled, blending with the night. It was a stealth chopper.

From its belly, four figures dropped soundlessly onto the rooftop. Their faces were hidden behind tactical visors.

Down below, in the building's stables, a Griffin stirred in its slumber. Its golden eyes flicked open, "Grrr…" A low growl rumbling in its throat for a moment as its ears perked up, but a moment later, it blinked, settling again as if dismissing a dream.

Meanwhile, the assassins moved like shadows, descending the stairwell until they reached the 16th floor. Stopping at unit 1602, they exchanged sharp hand signals.

One raised a compact device to his visor, activating infrared thermal goggles. Colored outlines of six bodies glowed inside—pairs of two in separate bedrooms. He gestured swiftly.

Another stepped forward, pressing his gloved hand against the door. With a thought, mana surged from his hand. A silent hiss filled the air as the wooden door disintegrated into powdered form, leaving a neat opening for the intruders to slip in. Their Mana assault rifles were drawn.

However, as soon as they stepped inside…

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

The alarms screamed to life across the apartment.

"What the…" The leader hissed, snapping his rifle up.

From her room, Zhi Yan burst out, almost in three seconds, with her hair loose and mana flickering in her palm. At the same time, Hao Bin and Yu Xiaofei also stumbled out of their room, too, with their faces hard with sudden alertness.

The infiltrators froze, exchanging rapid signs.

"Mission abort," the leader growled.

A smoke grenade clinked against the floor, bursting into thick grey mist. In the chaos, the intruders retreated, bolting back toward the balcony.

"Xiaofei, stay and protect the others!" Hao Bin shouted in a hurry. "I'm going after them!"

Both he and Zhi Yan rushed out into the corridor just as the intruders grappled upward. Ropes extended from the hovering chopper above, pulling them skyward.

"Not so fast!" Zhi Yan's voice then rang out.

Mana that earlier surged from her hands had taken shape into a spinning disc of concentrated lightning energy. She hurled it with precision, "Die."

SHRANG!

The disc sliced cleanly through one of the ropes. One of the masked intruders slipped; his arms flailed as he plummeted down the side of the building.

However, Zhi Yan wasn't done yet.

As the intruder was screaming during the fall, Zhi Yan's body blurred forward, launching herself over the balcony's edge. From sixteen floors up, she plummeted after him.

"Zhi Yan!!" Hao Bin shouted in alarm.

But, halfway down, the pendant at her throat suddenly flared with blinding light.

FWOOSH!

And a pair of angelic wings burst from her back, right in that moment. With a powerful beat, she swooped, catching the falling target midair.

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