Chapter 9: Chapter Nine: Piercing Them

Hank’s words made Su Xiao’s eyes light up.

He finally confirmed that the current timeline was a scene from the original story, three days before the Scrap Terminal was burned.

That meant, within the maximum time limit of his mission, the Scrap Terminal would be burned.

This was undoubtedly good news for Su Xiao—the more chaos, the more opportunities he had; only in muddy water could one catch fish.

Hank walked toward the warehouse exit, then seemed to remember something and turned back. “Our boss is Brandon Oka. You’re a member of the Guard now—how could you not know your boss’s name?”

Su Xiao let out a light laugh and nodded in acknowledgment.

The two stepped out of the warehouse; the sky had darkened, and the streets were filled with weary pedestrians.

Through casual chatter, Su Xiao learned that the burly man he’d seen earlier—his current “superior,” Brandon Oka—had served as Head of the Guard for nearly a decade, with extensive connections among palace officials of all ranks, even having been summoned by the King himself.

Su Xiao didn’t fully believe these claims from Hank; the man sounded like he was buttering him up.

Brandon Oka might indeed have been Head of the Guard for ten years, but the claim about his wide-ranging connections remained unverified.

After all, staying in one position for a decade meant this “superior” wasn’t doing very well in the capital.

Just as Hank was about to bid Su Xiao farewell, Su Xiao spoke up.

“How about a drink? I just arrived in the capital and have many things to ask you.”

Hank feigned reluctance, but under Su Xiao’s enthusiastic invitation, the two entered a tavern.

After a few cups of rice wine, Hank’s face flushed red, his breath reeking of alcohol, and his speech became noticeably looser.

“Let me tell you, if Boss hadn’t been unable to control his damn libido, he’d already be working inside the palace.”

Who else could he have targeted, but he had to go for… burp~.

Hank burped, cut himself off mid-sentence, as if realizing he’d said too much.

Su Xiao raised his cup, clinked it against Hank’s, and as Hank tipped his head back to drink, the wine in Su Xiao’s hand had vanished.

Drinking in this dangerous mission world was tantamount to suicide, so Su Xiao hadn’t swallowed a single drop.

“Forget it, let’s not talk about it. Boss lives a carefree life now—he’s a regular at Joy Street. Really enviable.”

Su Xiao gave half-hearted replies and poured Hank another cup.

After three rounds of drinks, it was around seven in the evening; Su Xiao and Hank parted at the tavern’s entrance, the streets now brightly lit.

Su Xiao lit a cigarette; as smoke curled upward, he watched Hank’s retreating figure with thoughtful eyes.

The man had provided him with plenty of intelligence—and nightfall was when Su Xiao would act.

One hand resting on the hilt of his blade, Su Xiao stopped a passerby. The man initially looked annoyed, but upon seeing Su Xiao’s Guard uniform, he visibly tensed with fear.

“Tell me, where’s Joy Street?”

The passerby gave him a knowing grin, then pointed out the direction.

That grin, combined with the name “Joy Street,” made Su Xiao realize what kind of place it was.

His “superior” certainly had plenty of energy.

Under the glow of early evening lights, a district dominated by pink and red illumination.

On both sides of the street stood mostly two- or three-story buildings with pointed roofs, tiled with glazed pottery, and each entrance hung with round or square lanterns.

Soft instrumental music blended with laughter and chatter; couples clung closely together along the sidewalks.

From the upper floors, glimpses could be seen of women dressed provocatively, holding slender smoking pipes, smiling seductively as they tried to lure passing customers.

This was Joy Street—the pleasure quarter of the Pirate World.

On the rooftop of one building, Su Xiao crouched in black attire, gripping [Dragon-Slicing Flash].

Since entering the Pirate World, Su Xiao had barely drawn his blade—but tonight, he would assassinate his first target, laying the groundwork for his mission.

A loud laugh echoed through the street.

That familiar laugh immediately drew Su Xiao’s gaze—the man laughing was none other than his “superior” from earlier.

Brandon Oka, flanked by two guards, strolled confidently down Joy Street.

Passersby instantly stepped aside upon seeing Brandon Oka, their expressions tense and deferential.

“Finally arrived.”

Su Xiao hid atop the roof, shadowing Brandon Oka and his group.

Not long after, Brandon Oka and his men entered a building; Su Xiao slipped through the night and reached the rooftop above it.

He waited briefly, then leapt down silently, pressing instantly against the wall to avoid detection.

Using the cover of darkness and dim lighting, Su Xiao began checking each room.

Checking rooms didn’t require sight—sound alone sufficed.

Su Xiao had trained specifically for this ability; he still remembered Brandon Oka’s voice.

After checking three rooms, he found his target: a man and woman speaking inside.

“When will you finally ‘save me’? Can you really just watch me spend time with other men?”

“Soon, soon. This is the Left Minister’s business—it’s not just about money. I’ve been working hard lately. The Left Minister is someone close to the King…”

Su Xiao listened impassively to their conversation, but as their words grew increasingly sappy, his brow furrowed.

But now wasn’t the time—he had to wait until Oka was at his most vulnerable to deliver the killing blow.

Things progressed smoothly; soon, muffled gasps filled the room.

Slowly, Su Xiao drew his long blade from his waist, then gently pushed open the window and slipped inside without a sound.

Inside, a man and woman were entangled, engaged in intercourse.

Su Xiao chose this moment because only now was Oka at his most defenseless.

Each step closer to Oka was taken with extreme caution, like a leopard stalking prey—silent, deliberate.

Five meters. Three meters. One meter.

Su Xiao reached behind Oka, slowly raised his blade, the tip aimed at the back of Oka’s skull.

The woman beneath Oka, who had been closed-eyed in pleasure, suddenly opened her eyes—and saw Su Xiao holding a sharp blade.

Her face twisted in terror; she instinctively opened her mouth to scream. Oka noticed her expression.

But it was already too late.

With both hands gripping the hilt, Su Xiao drove the blade with all his strength into the back of Oka’s skull.

“Pthsh.”

The blade pierced straight through Oka’s skull, its sharp tip slicing through flesh like paper, emerging from his mouth.

The blade didn’t stop—it pierced through the woman’s eye socket beneath Oka, then sank deep into the tatami mat beneath her.

The two impaled bodies convulsed like fish out of water—one with a severed spine and ruptured mouth, the other with a pierced brain—neither could cry out, so no one else noticed.

Su Xiao’s strike had been precisely calculated.

If he’d killed only Oka, the woman beneath him would have screamed immediately—then the guards outside would burst in, putting Su Xiao in grave danger.

Civilians in the Pirate World had exceptionally high physical stats—what about Guards?

One strike, two deaths, merciless—Su Xiao’s killing skill surpassed most assassins.

That’s exactly why the Cycle Paradise chose him as a Hunter.

A Hunter isn’t just someone with special talent—he must also have the courage to kill.

(This is a new pink book, so please recommend and collect.)