Chapter 103: A Fluke?
"Is this the best the assassins you and Ye Fei trained can do? You're a disgrace to the Assassination Squad!"
Zhou Fan, now armed with a dagger he'd taken from an enemy, smirked contemptuously. He glanced at the dead men on the ground, then fixed his disdainful gaze on Viper.
"A disgrace? But you're injured too, aren't you?" Viper sneered, not even sparing a look at the six or seven men Zhou Fan had killed. Even though Zhou Fan had just wiped out nearly half his men, they had managed to wear him down and inflict three or four wounds.
"For a dozen or so of us to injure the Nether King of Weizhen International... it's worth it!" Viper continued. With a wave of his hand, his men spread out again, slowly encircling Zhou Fan. At the same time, Viper himself shifted almost imperceptibly to his left, clearing a line of sight for the hidden sniper who was aiming at Zhou Fan.
But Zhou Fan instantly saw through Viper's little trick. A playful arc tugged at the corner of his mouth. He didn't expose the plan, but decided to play along, standing perfectly still.
The next instant, Zhou Fan struck first. He stomped his left foot and shot forward like an arrow from a bow, lunging toward an opponent on his left. His left hand reached for the man's shoulder while his right hand swung the dagger in an arc, fending off anyone who tried to interfere.
"Attack his left arm! He suffered a severe injury to it years ago. It's much slower than his right!" Viper shouted, revealing the little-known secret to his men.
SLICE!
Zhou Fan slit one opponent's throat, but another, hearing the warning, managed to slash his left arm. Zhou Fan immediately retreated.
"Viper, you take being a shameless bastard to a whole new level!"
Zhou Fan seemed to fly into a rage, ignoring the others as he charged madly toward Viper.
"Heh, Nether King? And here I thought you could remain rational forever!" Seeing this, Viper couldn't help but sneer. He chose not to clash head-on with Zhou Fan, instead parrying while waiting for his men to back him up. He hadn't even told Ye Fei about the severe injury to Zhou Fan's left arm; he had been saving it as his trump card.
Suddenly, Zhou Fan broke off his pursuit of Viper. He spun around and, with two quick slashes, finished off two opponents before charging straight for another.
'Did he suddenly regain his senses?' Viper was horrified.
At this point, besides himself, he only had five men left!
THUMP!
But just then, a muffled shot rang out from a distance.
In that very instant, a smile spread across Viper's face.
But the smile lasted for less than three seconds.
The next moment, the two men fighting Zhou Fan suddenly dropped dead, bloody holes gaping in their chests.
This scene not only dumbfounded Viper but also stunned his three remaining subordinates.
'What's going on?'
'How could he have hit our own men?'
But Zhou Fan had already turned around. He wiped the blood from his dagger on his expensive suit, the corners of his mouth lifting into a bloodthirsty smile. "I told you that you weren't capable enough, and you still tried to argue. Can't you even see something this simple?"
"He already fired one shot, yet he didn't even change positions. That was your order, wasn't it? Are you just that arrogant, or are you underestimating me? The moment I heard the shot, I quietly took one step to the left, forcing the other two to move with me. You didn't see that, did you?"
Zhou Fan pointed to the sniper's distant position, then to the two dead men. He shook his head, and finally, his gaze settled on Viper.
"You just got lucky! Stop your damn grandstanding. You're dead today!" Seeing that his three remaining men seemed to be wavering because of Zhou Fan's words, Viper shouted loudly and led the charge, rushing at Zhou Fan himself.
The melee erupted once more. Although only Viper and his three men remained, Zhou Fan still had to guard against the hidden sniper, so he didn't dare to go all out. Besides, knowing Viper, he was certain there wasn't just one sniper hidden in the shadows.
Ten-odd minutes later, Zhou Fan stood still. His left arm was now stained crimson with blood, and several new wounds decorated his body. But as for his opponents, none remained besides Viper. Zhou Fan had killed them all.
Staring at the blood-soaked Zhou Fan, Viper began to panic. He was also injured to a certain extent. If this dragged on, even if he managed to kill Zhou Fan, he would undoubtedly be severely wounded himself.
"Die!"
The next instant, as if he had made a decision, Viper's dagger arm traced a light, lazy semi-circle before stabbing diagonally toward Zhou Fan's abdomen.
Zhou Fan froze for a second, puzzled why Viper would make such an inefficient move. Suddenly, a sense of unease washed over him. He instinctively glanced toward the sniper's last position and lunged toward Viper.