Supreme Cultivation Master

But when he saw the eerie smile on Ye Fan’s face, he grew fearful. He knew this was definitely a trap, one Ye Fan had laid to lure him in. He wanted to retreat, but it was too late.

"Attack!"

Ghost Slaughter took the initiative, using the bracer on his arm to block Ye Fan’s dagger. He engaged Ye Fan in close combat, successfully tying him down.

Black Fog leaped high into the air, then plummeted down, aiming to shatter the crown of Ye Fan’s head.

Just then, Ye Fan swiftly raised his dagger to protect himself. Instantly, the blade pierced through Black Fog’s palm.

"URGH!" Black Fog let out a pained grunt as blood streamed from his hand.

The two assassins split to opposite corners, staying on guard against Ye Fan. All that remained in the center was the dripping blood—Black Fog’s blood.

Watching from a distance, Tian Can was filled with admiration for Ye Fan. He hadn’t expected the boss’s strength to be so terrifying. The two of them had joined forces, yet they had still suffered a considerable loss at his hands.

Ghost Slaughter attacked again. He excelled at close combat, a realm where he held an unrivaled advantage. His intention was to tie up Ye Fan, preventing him from dividing his attention, while Black Fog was responsible for the assassination from the shadows.

He threw a punch that managed to land on Ye Fan’s abdomen. Ye Fan grimaced in pain.

Did I succeed?

Ghost Slaughter rejoiced internally. Ye Fan’s dagger swept out. Ghost Slaughter froze in place, stunned, then became completely still.

The crowd watching from afar, and even Black Fog who had been about to charge back into battle, stared at the scene, unsure of what had just happened. All they could see was Ghost Slaughter standing motionless in front of Ye Fan.

Under the moonlight, as a spray of blood shot out, they finally understood. Ghost Slaughter’s throat had been slit.

Ghost Slaughter stared at Ye Fan in shock before collapsing to the ground. The man most qualified to ascend to the King realm had fallen, taken down by a single move from Ye Fan.

Black Fog trembled where he stood. Only now did he truly understand that a King was a King. Despite being infinitely close to the King realm, they were still a step away. A King was an Innate Expert, while they were merely at the Postnatal Peak. There was an unbridgeable chasm between Postnatal and Innate.

Ye Fan turned to Black Fog and said, "It’s your turn."

Although terrified, Black Fog stood his ground. "King of Heaven, you are the greatest of Kings, I’ll give you that. But even if you’re stronger, you’re no match for my speed."

"King of Heaven, our score isn’t settled. You can have this win!"

Black Fog quickly fled, vanishing into the moonlit night.

Ye Fan smirked dismissively and followed him into the darkness. He unleashed a speed that surpassed all limits, a feat only possible for someone who had entered the Innate realm. Below that level, it was impossible to achieve such velocity. He was, after all, an elite who had awakened the third level of Martial Arts. Black Fog was merely a Martial Artist who had awakened the second level; the gap between them was immense.

Hidden in the dark of night, Black Fog breathed a sigh of relief. He and Ghost Slaughter had meant to kill the King of Heaven, never expecting his combat power to be so horrifying. If he hadn’t escaped so quickly, he never would have slipped from Ye Fan’s grasp.

However, in the next moment, his calm shattered, and his eyes filled with terror.

Ye Fan’s icy dagger was already pressed against his neck. With the slightest movement from Ye Fan, his life would be extinguished in an instant. The ultimate irony was that the dagger that had killed Ghost Slaughter was his own, and now, the dagger poised to kill him was also his. To be killed by someone using your own weapon—what a bitter mockery.

Ye Fan said tauntingly, "Black Fog, where will you run this time?"

"King of Heaven, you’ve won. Just kill me," Black Fog said. Although deeply resentful, he had to accept his fate, for the simple fact that Ye Fan had defeated him.

"I’d love to kill you," Ye Fan said, "but right now, I’m tempted to abandon that plan."

"What do you mean?" Black Fog asked. From what he knew of the King of Heaven, the man was ruthlessly decisive. He shouldn’t be letting him go at a time like this.

"Because I value talent," Ye Fan stated. "I won’t kill you, but you must pledge your allegiance to me."

Black Fog was furious. He had his own faction and was now being told to become someone else’s subordinate. "Impossible!" he declared. "Not even if I die! King of Heaven, you can forget that idea!"

"Good, you dare to refuse me," Ye Fan said. "But I think your life is worth three years. Serve me for three years. After that, you go your way, and I’ll go mine. How about it?"

Hearing this, Black Fog was tempted. While he didn’t fear death, how could one not be afraid when it was truly imminent? Besides, when you’re dead, you have nothing. If you’re alive, you at least have some value.

"Fine," he said. "Three years it is. After three years, you must let me go!"

"I always keep my word," Ye Fan replied with a playful smile that sent a chill down Black Fog’s spine.

"What will you use to control me?" Black Fog asked. Generally, the most effective way to control an expert was with poison, but he had no idea what method the King of Heaven would use.

"Nothing," Ye Fan said. "Since I’m not killing you, I’ll trust you. Besides, even if you betrayed me, I have ten thousand ways to make you die. Controlling you is completely unnecessary!"

Black Fog was stunned by Ye Fan’s confidence and sheer audacity. He was right. If he did rebel, Ye Fan had countless ways to kill him. Although ten thousand ways was an exaggeration, a single method would be more than enough; there would be no need for ten thousand.

Ye Fan had a reason for not killing Black Fog. His conflict with him wasn’t deep, and he could have Black Fog train assassins for him. After all, Black Fog’s strength was not to be underestimated. As for Ghost Slaughter, that was a different matter. The man was a member of the Tianji Pavilion, which was Ye Fan’s sworn enemy. He had suppressed them in the past, and even though that was no longer the case, an arch-enemy was destined to be an arch-enemy. That fact could never be changed unless one side was completely annihilated. Therefore, Ghost Slaughter had to die.

He handed the dagger to Black Fog. "This is your weapon. Take it back."

"Are you insulting me?" Black Fog asked.

"I never insult my own people," Ye Fan smiled. "Now that you’re my subordinate, there’s no need for me to insult you. It’s just that with your level of strength, you couldn’t hurt me with this dagger anyway."

The words were harsh, but Black Fog had to admit it was the truth. The power of a King was not something they could challenge. The distance between them and a King might not seem vast, but it was an uncrossable, insurmountable chasm.

Neither Tian Can nor Di Que had expected their boss to actually subjugate Black Fog.

At this, Ye Fan said, "From today on, Black Fog is one of you. Don’t fight amongst yourselves!"

"Yes!" Lord Eagle, Tian Can, and Di Que replied immediately. Black Fog, with his pride, remained silent. He had never been a man of many words.

Having recruited Black Fog, Ye Fan knew he had gained another powerful asset. Black Fog’s strength was considerable, and his skills in stealth and assassination would be a major boost to his forces. The recruitment was well worth it. As for the three-year term, Ye Fan wasn’t worried. In three years, he’d have plenty of ways to convince Black Fog to stay in his service.

「Back at Home」

Ye Fan asked Su Qingxue, "Where’s Alice?"

Su Qingxue replied, "She left. She said she was going out to clear her head and told you not to worry about her."

"Damn it." Ye Fan already knew Alice was not one to sit still. She must have gotten bored of staying at the Su family home and gone out to have fun again. He trusted her ability to handle herself, so he didn’t try to stop her. She could go play wherever she wanted.

"Take me to work," Su Qingxue said.

"Alright!" Naturally, the task fell to Ye Fan.

「At the Company」

Tang Yurou was standing anxiously at the entrance, seemingly waiting for someone. However, her expression soured when she saw Ye Fan and Su Qingxue get out of the car. Ye Fan was the man she liked, after all. Running into them like this was bound to be awkward.

Su Qingxue asked her, "What’s the matter?"

Tang Yurou said urgently, "Mr. Su, something’s wrong!"