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墨書 Inktalez
Li Mu twisted the throttle of his motorcycle, the engine roaring to life as he sped through the night, leaving behind the convenience store and garbage bins swallowed by darkness. Just then, the cold electronic voice of Mo Ba pierced through his earpiece, tinged with discontent. "Ghost Shadow, it seems you've been compromised on this mission. How could you be so careless?"
Li Mu frowned, anger boiling within him. He gritted his teeth and retorted sharply, "Careless? The intel and resources you provided were pitifully inadequate. How am I supposed to handle so many people while also locating the target? This mission was nothing short of a fantasy. Who do you think could complete it easily?"
He had never encountered such an outrageous mission assignment. Inside the Qihong Ice Factory, danger lurked in every corner, with guards ready to discover his presence at any moment. Yet, Mo Ba's intel barely mentioned the target's location or movements, forcing him to rely on instinct in a perilous environment. Of course, he had completed the task, but the process was fraught with danger, leaving Li Mu seething with frustration.
Mo Ba paused for a moment before coldly explaining, "The Blood Blade Sect's headquarters has been changing frequently lately, and our intelligence department has limited information. From our observations, this may be due to their increased activity as they seem to be expanding their influence while intensifying their conflict with the Viper Sect. Recently, there have been numerous missions related to them within the Twilight Alliance, making business boom for assassins."
Upon hearing this, Li Mu raised an eyebrow and scoffed inwardly. He was already aware of the power struggle between the Blood Blade Sect and the Viper Sect, but Mo Ba's explanation only heightened his vigilance. The gang wars had spread throughout the underground world, and assassins were merely pawns in their conflicts, likely to be swept into an unpredictable storm at any moment. This meant that his future missions could become increasingly perilous, perhaps even impossible to escape unscathed.
"It sounds like the Twilight Alliance is not lacking in business lately," Li Mu said coldly, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. He knew that Mo Ba and the Twilight Alliance cared little for the lives of assassins; they were only concerned with whether each transaction went smoothly. However, such poorly informed mission assignments were undoubtedly adding insult to injury for assassins.
"That's why I need you to be extra cautious," Mo Ba replied coldly, seemingly ignoring Li Mu's complaints. "The upcoming missions will only get more dangerous; you'd better be prepared."
Li Mu's disdain echoed in his earpiece as he took a deep breath and said icily, "To be honest, I think the real danger doesn't just come from the mission target; what truly concerns me is this mysterious employer."
There was a moment of silence on Mo Ba's end as if he were processing Li Mu's words. Even through the electronic distortion, Li Mu could sense a subtle shift in Mo Ba's demeanor. Finally, Mo Ba's voice returned—still cold but now tinged with hesitation. "You're not the only one feeling puzzled. I've never met this employer; I can't even confirm his true identity. All I know is that he wields significant power and operates very discreetly." A note of caution crept into his electronic voice; clearly, even Mo Ba harbored doubts about this employer.
Li Mu narrowed his eyes slightly as he recalled scenes from Qihong Ice Factory and that chilling laughter from the black luxury car at the end of it all. He tightened his grip on the motorcycle handlebars and lowered his voice, laced with barely concealed disdain and unease. "Not only is he mysterious; he has been monitoring me throughout my mission, tracking my every move. No matter how cautious I am, it feels like I'm completely exposed under his gaze without even realizing it. This level of control... it's like some advanced technical support that ordinary people simply cannot possess."
As he spoke these words, Li Mu's tone carried a suppressed fury. As an assassin, his confidence stemmed from years of silent concealment and precise killings; yet now he felt as if every action was being treated like an 'entertainment show,' monitored by unseen eyes. He could not tolerate this situation; his wariness grew stronger as his doubts about this employer deepened. This was not his first time receiving a cautious commission, but this invisible pressure far exceeded anything he had experienced before.
Mo Ba remained silent for a while as if weighing Li Mu's words carefully. After a moment, his voice returned—now tinged with unmistakable fatigue and resignation. "I understand your concerns, Ghost Shadow. However... things have indeed become increasingly tense lately; the volume of missions from the Twilight Alliance has surged while conflicts among major factions have escalated dramatically. Especially with New Year approaching, it seems every gang is eager to settle old scores before the year ends—wanting to resolve all grievances at once. Assassins like you are in high demand right now; business is booming more than ever." His tone carried a deep weariness; clearly familiar with such circumstances where countless assassins were dispatched like commodities during peak demand seasons.
Li Mu merely snorted, his dissatisfaction growing stronger within him. To Mao Ba and the Alliance, he was just a tool to complete a mission, and the schemes of these employers, along with the entanglements of mysterious forces, were nothing more than routine "fluctuations" in Mao Ba's eyes. However, for him, this lack of information made every step increasingly perilous, especially when he realized he was under hidden scrutiny.
"Indeed, the Twilight Alliance is thriving; everyone is rushing to settle scores before the New Year. But if such missions lack accurate intelligence, our risks will multiply," Li Mu said coldly, his tone laced with sarcasm and suppressed anger. His instincts told him that this mysterious employer had a background far more complex than an ordinary client, and this arrangement seemed designed to pull him deeper into a convoluted situation.
"That's why I need you to be especially careful," came Mao Ba's electronic voice in response, still cold and unruffled, as if ignoring Li Mu's complaints. He calmly reminded him to remain vigilant. "You must remember that the upcoming missions will only become more complicated. The struggles between these forces are intensifying; you'd better prepare yourself early."
Li Mu frowned slightly, his gaze turning even more severe as he spoke in a low voice, "Is that so? I hope you can provide more accurate intelligence next time. Such employers are more troublesome than the targets." His tone dripped with icy sarcasm, but deep down he knew he had no choice. Having embarked on this treacherous path, there was no turning back; he could only forge ahead.
After a moment of silence, Mao Ba's cold voice returned through the earpiece, still devoid of emotion: "Don't think too much, Ghost Shadow. You'll be notified once the payment is processed; go back and wait for news."
The words were chilling and concise, offering no comfort or unnecessary explanation, as if everything should stop there. As soon as he finished speaking, the communication was abruptly cut off, leaving only a silence in the earpiece. Mao Ba's voice had ceased abruptly, like a door being slammed shut, locking away all answers and truths behind it, leaving only a wall of indifference.
Li Mu took a deep breath and raised his head, inhaling the sudden stillness and night air into his chest. He gently twisted the throttle of his motorcycle, which responded with a low rumble from its engine—a steady and fierce power—as he slowly drove into the night. Yet alongside that roar was an undeniable sense of confusion and unease that he could not mask. Mao Ba's brief words and the decisive cut-off felt like they had unveiled a deeper undercurrent that sent chills through him.
The night wind howled in his ears as the dim streetlights reflected off the darkened road stretching endlessly into the distance. He drove silently, his expression marked by a newfound severity of thought. Every detail from tonight felt like barbs piercing his mind—this mysterious employer with their mocking voice, their omnipresent surveillance, and their seemingly effortless control created an unprecedented pressure on him. The completion of this mission felt too strange; gangsters were toyed with and manipulated by him while the puppet master remained hidden in the shadows, quietly observing every move he made.
A vague sense of crisis began to rise within Li Mu—a feeling akin to an invisible web slowly encircling him—but he couldn't even determine who or what lay at its center or what their intentions were. The mysterious employer, gang conflicts, and the increasing number of commissions within the Twilight Alliance… these chaotic bits of information gradually pieced together a blurry outline that loomed so large it made him feel as if an unseen hand had firmly grasped him; no matter how cautious he was, escaping this intricate web of schemes seemed impossible.
His thoughts deepened alongside the engine's low growl as his brow furrowed tighter. As Ghost Shadow, Li Mu had never experienced such unease in his career. Regardless of how dangerous past missions had been or how scarce information was, he had always managed to carve out a bloody path through peril using instinct and experience. Yet this time brought an unprecedented sense of oppression—like silent shackles tightening around him—binding him within this vast enigma.
The wind grew sharper; the chill in the night sky seemed to seep through his skin into his bones. He knew he was being drawn into an exceptionally dangerous struggle—the unseen gaze behind him and the elusive puppet master left him feeling suffocated like prey. This wasn't his first encounter with risk; however, tonight's secrecy and strangeness instilled in him an unprecedented premonition—that this struggle was far more than just surface-level gang conflicts. This web was expanding gradually while he and other assassins were merely pawns—cold tools for hidden forces.
As this sense of crisis sharpened further in clarity, his gaze grew increasingly resolute and determined. Deep down he understood that he could no longer be just a passive executor of orders. If there truly was a hand orchestrating everything behind the scenes, then he must find those eyes to unravel this intricate mystery; otherwise, next time he might not survive unscathed.
Li Mu took a deep breath of the night air, letting the cold atmosphere swirl in his chest, suppressing all doubts. He stopped overthinking, coldly twisting the throttle and accelerating into the darkness. The black motorcycle was like a silent shadow, swiftly slicing through the tranquility of the night, leaving behind the heavy fog of uncertainty. With a barely perceptible determination, he vanished into the boundless darkness.
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