[Location: A dark alley behind the Ghost Market.] [Time: 01:30 AM.]
Rain poured down, washing the neon lights of Star City into blurry streaks. The streets were empty. Even the rats were hiding.
Chen Qing walked slowly, holding a black umbrella over Sun Mengjia. She was humming a creepy lullaby while skipping over puddles. General Fluffles trotted beside them, still chewing on the "Dragon Vertebrae." Crunch. He looked very content.
"Master," Sun Mengjia stopped skipping. Her red eyes gleamed in the dark. "There are six cockroaches following us."
"Seven," Chen Qing corrected. "One on the roof."
He stopped walking. "Come out. My dog doesn't bite, but my wife does."
Swish. Swish.
Seven shadows dropped from the rooftops, surrounding them. They wore traditional black combat suits with the "Ye Family" emblem embroidered on their chests. The leader, a scarred man with a massive broadsword, stepped forward.
"Hand over the bone. And leave your arms," the leader sneered. "Young Master Ye is very unhappy."
"Ye Tian sent you?" Chen Qing sighed, closing his umbrella. "He really has no imagination."
"Die!" The six assassins lunged forward simultaneously. Their swords gleamed with cold light. These were all C-Rank Warriors. Elite killers.
"Boring," Sun Mengjia yawned. She didn't move. She just snapped her fingers.
Zzzzt! The puddles under the assassins' feet suddenly sparked with blue electricity. (She had rewired a nearby transformer box while skipping earlier.)
"Arghhhhh!" The six assassins convulsed violently, smoke rising from their bodies. They collapsed into the wet alley, twitching.
"That's cheating!" The leader roared, raising his broadsword. "Face me like a warrior!"
He charged at Chen Qing, his sword glowing with Qi. "Mountain Splitting Slash!"
Chen Qing stood still. He raised one hand. He didn't use a weapon. He just extended two fingers.
Clang.
The massive broadsword was caught between Chen Qing's index and middle fingers. Stopped dead. Not a scratch on his skin.
The leader's eyes widened in horror. "Impossible! This is High-Grade Steel! Even a B-Rank can't block it with bare hands!"
"Steel?" Chen Qing smiled. "[Genetic Lock: Phase 1 - Iron Skin]."
Snap. With a twist of his fingers, Chen Qing snapped the broadsword in half like a twig.
The leader stumbled back, falling onto his butt. "You... who are you?!"
Chen Qing stepped forward, the broken blade reflecting the cold rain. "I told you at the auction. You can't afford to know."
"Wait! Don't kill me! I can tell you a secret!" The leader begged. "The Ye Family... they are working with the Syndicate! They are building a portal!"
"A portal?" Chen Qing paused.
"Yes! To the Otherworld! They need the Dragon Bone to stabilize it! If they succeed, monsters will flood the city!"
Chen Qing looked at the leader, then at the chewing dog. "Well, too bad. My dog ate the key."
"Woof!" (It was delicious!)
"Go back," Chen Qing kicked the leader, sending him flying into a dumpster. "Tell Ye Tian I'm coming to visit tomorrow. Prepare tea."
The leader scrambled out of the trash and ran for his life.
Sun Mengjia pouted. "Why did you let him go? I wanted to play with his intestines."
"We need a messenger," Chen Qing opened the umbrella again. "Besides, tomorrow we are going to burn down the Ye Family mansion. We need him to gather everyone in one place."
"Burn it down?" Sun Mengjia's eyes lit up like Christmas lights. "Can I bring gasoline?"
"Bring the big tank," Chen Qing smiled.
[System Notification:] [Mission Updated: Destroy the Traitor Clan.] [Target: The Ye Family.] [Reward: Dragon Bloodline (Awakening).]
They walked out of the alley, leaving behind six groaning assassins in the rain. The storm was just beginning.