Chapter 31: Angel of Purgatory

Although Zhao Ying's gaze was somewhat complicated, it was ultimately filled with worry—worry for Lin Fan. After all, she was a police officer and could naturally sense that he was no ordinary person. She realized that her presence here would only cause trouble for Lin Fan, so with that thought, she nodded slightly and stepped aside.

“I’ll give you a chance,” Lin Fan said to the leader of the men, his eyes fixed on him. “Tell me about your organization and your employer, and I might consider sparing your life.”

“Defeat me first, then we’ll talk.” Though he now stood alone, with no help from his comrades, he understood that as an assassin, his fate held only two possibilities: to kill or be killed.

“Very well, then go to hell.” A murderous glint flashed through Lin Fan’s eyes as he moved. But as soon as Lin Fan made his move, the leader leaped into the air, soaring more than two meters high. In a flash, his legs became a blur of countless afterimages, descending like a torrential storm.

Lin Fan’s lips curled into that familiar, wicked smile. His hands hung loosely at his sides, but his feet shifted rapidly, carrying him away with lightning speed, narrowly dodging the fierce assault.

Lin Fan’s sudden evasion gave the leader a sense of foreboding. He was already starting to regret taking this mission from the organization. No matter how one looked at it, Dragon Soul was a dominant force in the mercenary world—their leader would never be so easy to kill. It seemed he was doomed this time.

With that thought, the leader’s body paused abruptly in midair. Without any foothold, he pressed his hands downward into the empty air, unleashing a sudden burst of strength that propelled him even higher. From there, he launched a series of swift attacks. He no longer hoped to injure Lin Fan; as long as he could throw him off balance, he believed the sniper behind him would seize the opportunity to finish Lin Fan off.

“Borrowing force in midair,” Lin Fan snorted coldly. His pupils narrowed as, once again, he dodged—but this time, even faster than before. To the untrained eye, he seemed to leave a trail of shadows behind him.

“If I’m not mistaken, you must be from the Infernal Angels,” Lin Fan said, his wicked smile deepening as he watched the man’s reaction while stepping back.

Hearing this, the leader’s body visibly stiffened. He hadn't expected Lin Fan to guess his identity. This was hardly good news: not only had the mission failed, but now his identity was exposed. Even if he somehow survived, it would mean certain death.

Seeing his reaction, Lin Fan knew his guess was almost certainly correct. Over the years, the conflict between Infernal Angels and Dragon Soul had only grown, though there had been no direct confrontations. A year ago, a mysterious organization had attacked Dragon Soul, and someone had used this very airborne technique. At the time, Lin Fan hadn’t known it was the Infernal Angels, but recently, Dragon Soul had uncovered their involvement. So when Lin Fan saw the leader use the technique, it was only natural to think of the Infernal Angels.

He hadn’t expected them to attempt such a brazen assassination—this was a direct challenge to Dragon Soul itself. Worse yet, their targets were the Blood Jade and the Violet Sword. With that, the killing intent in Lin Fan grew stronger. He struck just as the leader began to fall, his timing honed by countless missions and the brutal battlefields of Africa. In an instant, Lin Fan’s right fist clenched, his knuckles jutting out slightly. With a gust of wind, he aimed a devastating blow at the man’s chest, his speed astonishing.

The leader’s face paled—Lin Fan’s technique was too unpredictable. Let alone the sniper, even getting a clear shot was impossible. What he didn’t know was that Lin Fan was using the Swallow Shadow Fist, also known as the Lost Shadow Fist. The "lost" referred not only to the fist technique but also to the elusive footwork. Lin Fan’s master had passed the long-lost art to him, and since leaving the Falcons, Lin Fan had never slacked in his training. Even so, by the standards of the ancients, his mastery was only at a minor level.

Faced with Lin Fan’s howling fist, the leader felt a chill in his heart. He knew there was no chance of returning alive today, but he still tried to twist his body to avoid a fatal blow. Unfortunately, he was a step too slow.

Lin Fan’s punch struck him squarely in the chest. Instantly, he flew like a severed kite, his mask lost somewhere along the way, and crashed heavily to the ground. Blood spurted from his mouth, his face turned ashen, and several ribs were clearly broken. He was utterly incapacitated, but certainly not dead. Now that Lin Fan knew he was with the Infernal Angels, he still hoped to find out who had hired him—he wouldn’t let him die so easily. Though the odds were slim; assassins were rigorously trained never to reveal their employers, and the Infernal Angels were one of the most secretive groups in the field. Getting information from them was nearly impossible.

“Speak. Who sent you?” Lin Fan walked over slowly and stomped hard on the man’s chest. The leader’s injuries worsened, blood spilling from his mouth—his internal organs clearly damaged.

“Cough… Do you really think I’d tell you? I was too careless, foolish enough to think I could kill you. Kill me, then. The Infernal Angels and Dragon Soul will never rest until one is destroyed,” the leader said through bloodied lips, his words broken and weak. Then he closed his eyes. Since Lin Fan already knew his identity, there was no point hiding it any longer.

“Then die,” Lin Fan said coldly. With confirmation that the man was from the Infernal Angels, further questioning would yield nothing. As the word “die” fell from his lips, a lethal glint flashed in Lin Fan’s eyes and he pressed down with his foot. The leader’s chest caved in completely, every rib snapped and driven into his heart. Blood poured from his mouth—he was clearly dead.

Now that the Infernal Angels had openly declared war on Dragon Soul, their existence was no longer tolerable. Lin Fan’s eyes gleamed coldly. For all their secrecy, the Infernal Angels had dared attack Dragon Soul a year ago, causing severe losses, and now they brazenly attempted to assassinate him. They were even possibly connected to his parents’ death. For that, Lin Fan would never let them go.

Turning to Zhao Ying, Lin Fan hesitated, unsure how to explain everything she’d just witnessed. But this time, Zhao Ying didn’t try to arrest him or point a gun at him. She simply gazed at him calmly, leaving Lin Fan unable to guess what she was thinking…