Chapter 78: Don't You Like to Talk?
"Two!"
"Three!"
Zhou Fan's voice continued to ring out, cold and emotionless, like a machine. Each number he spoke claimed another life. His figure never paused after a kill, as if he had only waved his hand casually while passing by.
One-Eye dared not hesitate any longer. He burst forward with all his strength, charging the car once more. The dagger in his hand stabbed without hesitation toward Chu Yan, who was sitting inside, watching nervously.
One-Eye didn't actually intend to kill Chu Yan. His plan was to injure her first and then use her as a hostage.
But just as he lunged with the dagger, a wave of panic surged from the depths of his heart. He instinctively dodged to the side once more.
The moment he dodged, a cold glint of light flashed past, practically grazing his wrist. He had been a hair's breadth from having this hand severed as well.
However, the person in the car clearly had no intention of giving One-Eye time to react. In the very next instant, they shot out of the vehicle and closed the distance.
"Damn it, you people are shameless!"
One-Eye cursed as he got a clear look at his attacker. 'I never would have imagined that Fan, the captain of Wolf Fang, would be working with Zhou Fan! I'm positive he wasn't in the car before, so when did he get here?'
If his left hand hadn't been severed, and if Zhou Fan hadn't already stabbed three holes in his body, One-Eye wouldn't have been the least bit afraid of Fan, who was suffering from internal injuries and couldn't use his full strength.
But as things stood, he was being pushed back, forced to constantly defend himself.
"Kid, just give up! Turn around and look at the men you brought. Your former instructor has killed almost all of them!" Fan taunted, not forgetting to launch a verbal assault even while pressing his attack.
"Huh? You're not much of a talker, are you? Don't like to speak? But I heard you say something just now, I really did! I'm not lying to you, just turn around and take a peek!"
"You're so impolite, just like that Zhou Fan fellow. He sends me a message telling me to come all the way out here, and if I hadn't been nearby, I never would've made it in time. And then when I show up, he doesn't even say thank you!"
"Are all of you from the Netherworld King's Hall this pleasant? That just won't do. You have to be polite to people. Come on, I'll ask you, what number was Zhou Fan on a moment ago?"
Between Fan's relentless, suffocating offense, the guy's chatterbox-like verbal assault that was sharper than any dagger, and Zhou Fan's ongoing count ringing in his ears, One-Eye broke down.
He was filled with regret. 'Why, oh why, did I insist on taking this mission?'
Viper was originally supposed to lead this operation personally. But he had volunteered, boasting that he could handle it himself and that there was no need for Viper to get involved.
Sitting in the car, Chu Yan listened to Fan's incessant chattering. She recalled the time at the docks when she had been embracing Zhou Fan, only for this very same guy to suddenly appear and interrupt them. She had made a mental note of Fan's face and voice, filing him away under the category of 'Zhou Fan's most annoying friend'.
"Twelve!"
At that moment, Zhou Fan's blade slit the throat of the last member of the Assassination Squad. He turned around with a flourish, his cold gaze landing on One-Eye, who had been backed into a corner by Fan.
"Boss, I'm sorry! Don't kill me! I'm willing to leave the darkness for the light, to follow you again! We can fight our way back together!" One-Eye cried out, begging for his life in a terrified voice as Zhou Fan's gaze fell on him. He glanced at his men, all of them now dead.
Zhou Fan said nothing as he slowly walked up to One-Eye. His powerful aura was so oppressive that the man didn't dare entertain a single thought of a sneak attack.
"You're unworthy."
Zhou Fan stated flatly. He lifted his arm, swung it lightly, and then turned around.
SPURT!
One-Eye clamped his only remaining hand to his neck, but he couldn't stop the blood that gushed out. His eyes widened as his body slowly slumped to the ground.
And with that, all thirteen of them, including One-Eye, were dead, having fallen to Zhou Fan's dagger.
"I'll leave the cleanup to you," Zhou Fan said with a grin, looking at the stunned Fan.
"Holy shit, your power...?" Fan's jaw dropped as he stared at the thirteen assassins Zhou Fan had just reaped.
"It's all back."
"Hey, wait a minute! You're just leaving this mess to me? Where are you going? What am I supposed to write in my report?"
"I have to go get a free-range chicken with my wife. We're making soup!" Zhou Fan called back without turning his head. "As for the report, just write that you single-handedly wiped them all out in a blaze of glory. Don't mention me. I like to keep a low profile."
Watching the car drive off into the distance, Fan slapped his forehead, speechless. 'I'm the renowned captain of Wolf Fang,' he thought. 'How have I become this guy's damn babysitter?'
"Hey, you lot, over here!" Fan waved to a few burly men standing in the distance, who seemed to be frozen in a stupor.
Fan actually had his own doubts. 'Those guys were clearly up to no good,' he thought. 'Their skills were pathetic, sure, but why would Zhou Fan just let them go like that?'