Chapter Twenty-Two: S-Class Assassin (Part Two)

At the critical moment, Yan Tian slammed his left hand into the ground, propelling his upper body upward while his lower body pressed down due to the reaction force. This slight reprieve allowed his legs to narrowly avoid being pierced by the twin blades.

Simultaneously, with his left hand still on the ground, Yan Tian’s right hand struck out, his index and middle fingers firing two bolts of "One-Yang Finger."

The sound of the finger-force tearing through the air, like a tornado, rang out as the invisible energy struck Gao Lan squarely in the shoulders.

Two muffled bangs followed, and blood erupted from Gao Lan’s shoulders. Her arms instantly lost all strength; her grip failed, and the two black daggers clattered to the ground.

Gao Lan let out a cry of pain, beads of cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. Gritting her teeth, she lashed out with a rapid series of kicks.

By now, Yan Tian had regained his footing. With Gao Lan’s arms incapacitated, the young woman was no match for him.

He casually batted away her kicks with a sweep of his right leg, then lunged forward, his hand clamping firmly around her slender, jade-like neck. A slight squeeze was all it took to leave her struggling for air.

Yan Tian sneered, pushing her back until she lay splayed across the hood of the car. It was a bad habit of his—even in a life-or-death struggle, he never missed an opportunity to take advantage.

"My hands are heavy, and they never fail to draw blood. I didn't want to use such ruthless moves against you, but you pushed me to it. I had to let you bleed a little so you won't forget this lesson," Yan Tian boasted shamelessly. In truth, it wasn't that he hadn't wanted to strike; he simply hadn't had the opening. Against Gao Lan’s terrifyingly fast twin guns, he hadn't stood a chance until now.

Gao Lan stared fixedly into Yan Tian's eyes. Having deactivated his "Heavenly Eye," he no longer feared her gaze. Her eyes were cold, her face like frost, and her aura surged with killing intent. She bit her lip until it turned white.

***

With Gao Lan subdued, Leng Bingtong and the other women gathered around, exchanging silent, bewildered glances.

Shi Kexin glared at Gao Lan, her eyes burning with fury. She let out a sharp, indignant snort: "Hmph!"

A flicker of cold light passed through Gao Lan’s eyes before vanishing just as quickly. Her hands, supposedly too injured to move, began to creep slowly toward Yan Tian’s back, as if reaching out to embrace him.

Yan Tian chuckled, shifting his shoulders. He slammed his shoulders into the crooks of her arms, the hidden force instantly rendering her arms completely useless, and they fell limp onto the hood.

Tucked between her index and middle fingers, unbeknownst to anyone, were two thin, black needles, each barely two centimeters long.

"Still not giving up, are you?" Yan Tian laughed.

"How could you say that?" Gao Lan kept her smile, acting innocent. "I was just testing your skills! You’re so formidable; how could a little trick of mine ever escape your keen eyes?"

"I like the sound of that." Yan Tian laughed even more heartily, then gave her a sharp tap. The hidden force numbed the meridians in her legs, leaving them paralyzed as well.

At that moment, two black blade tips poked out from the toes of her leather boots.

"Ouch, you’re hurting me!" Gao Lan acted as if nothing had happened, her face blooming into a sweet smile as she cooed in a coy, pampered voice.

"If you were obedient, why would I have the heart to hurt you? You feel especially good through that tight leather suit. Tell me, is your surname Gao? Did Gao Qian-Duo send you to kill me?"

"Yes! He’s my big brother. When a brother gives an order, how can a little sister refuse?" Gao Lan looked pitiful, her eyes brimming with tears. "I didn't want to kill you either!"

***

Yan Tian nodded, smiling thinly. "I recall warning him. Very well, I won't kill you today. Besides, your hands will need a long time to recover before you can even hold a gun again. Go back and tell your brother: I, Yan Tian, am no saint. I didn't kill him that day because he hadn't truly threatened me. But today, he sent you here with guns, and for the first time, I felt that I could have died at any moment."

His smile twisted into a ferocious, menacing grin. "My life is precious, so I don't treat it as a joke! If Gao Qian-Duo wants my life, I’ll take his first! Starting tomorrow, I’m going to hunt him down. Tell him he’d better leave He City overnight, or he’ll have only one path left: death!"

"Why are you being so mean to me?" Gao Lan whimpered. "I’m just a messenger. I’ve delivered the message, do I have to convey your tone and expression along with it?"

"Hmph," Yan Tian scoffed. "Stop playing the victim. The ruthlessness you showed when you pulled that trigger already showed me exactly what kind of woman you are."

Gao Lan replied, "That’s only because I didn't know you were this powerful! Now that I do, I’m fully convinced."

Yan Tian smiled faintly and released her. He stepped back a few paces and said, "Your hands aren't fit to drive, so I’m keeping this car as compensation for interrupting my bath. It isn't far to the city. Even though I suspect your legs don't have much strength right now, you should be able to walk there in four or five hours. Once you reach the city, you can just hail a cab. Do you have money? If not, I can spare some."

Gao Lan looked at him pitifully. "You... how can you be so cruel? How can you have the heart to leave a weak girl to walk alone in the wilderness?"

"Get lost!" Yan Tian snapped.

Gao Lan cast a resentful glance at Yan Tian, a look that sent a shiver down his spine.

As they watched Gao Lan limp out of the courtyard, Xia Tianling spoke quietly: "If I'm not mistaken, she is a key operative of 'Destiny,' known as the number one 'Fast-Hand Sprite' in Asia."