"Ning Beichen, he's an interesting fellow. He has the ambition of a warlord and decent strength. It's a shame he has to die, but at ten billion, no assassin could refuse such a price," Zhang Xin murmured to herself, putting down the documents.
A few days later, Zhang Xin appeared at Ning Beichen's location. Since Yan Lixing had revealed Ning Beichen's address, it wasn't difficult for Zhang Xin to find him. However, Zhang Xin didn't act immediately, fearing it might be a trap. She observed for a few more days, confirming there were no ambushes before making her move. Assassins aim for a single, decisive blow. The opportunity to assassinate the King of Darkness would come only once; once alerted, killing him would be significantly harder.
As night fell, Zhang Xin infiltrated Ning Beichen's residence. She didn't even consider the possibility of failing to assassinate Ning Beichen, as she had never failed before. If the price offered by the client hadn't been so enticing, Zhang Xin wouldn't have personally taken on the job. Many outside knew Hongmen as an assassin organization, but few knew that Hongmen was actually a sect, a very ancient one, and Hongniang was its sect leader. Hongmen later became an assassin organization because it needed money to sustain itself. A sect cannot develop long-term without funds, especially in modern society where necessities like food, clothing, housing, and transportation all require money.
Upon entering, Zhang Xin saw a man sitting on the living room sofa watching television. Comparing him to the photo, Zhang Xin confirmed that the man watching TV was her target.
"Are you the King of Darkness?" Zhang Xin asked, walking boldly towards Ning Beichen, not at all like an assassin, but more like a guest. What she didn't know was that Ning Beichen had sensed her presence the moment she entered.
"Zhang Xin?" Ning Beichen turned and asked.
Zhang Xin's expression changed. The fact that he knew her name the moment he spoke indicated he had been expecting her. This gave Zhang Xin a very bad premonition.
"Withdraw!" This was Zhang Xin's first reaction. It wasn't cowardice, but Ning Beichen's utter composure. Composure meant he wasn't afraid. Not being afraid implied he had a backup. Although Zhang Xin didn't know what Ning Beichen's backup was, years of experience as an assassin told her that it was best to leave immediately.
"My apologies for the intrusion." Zhang Xin turned to leave. Since she couldn't kill him, there was no need to force the issue; otherwise, she might not even know how she died.
"Miss Zhang Xin can come and go as she pleases? Aren't you looking down on me a bit?" Ning Beichen spoke.
"You have your reasons, and I can't kill you, so I didn't make a move. Since I didn't make a move, it means I haven't offended you. Why can't I leave?" Zhang Xin replied calmly, as if she had entered the wrong room and a simple apology would suffice, not that she was here to kill someone. This left Ning Beichen somewhat stunned.
"Weren't you here to kill me?"
"I was, but I realized you were too composed, so I concluded you don't fear me. Though I don't know your backup, I'm not a fool. Knowing you're prepared, should I still charge in?"
"Even legally, this would at most be attempted murder. However, I don't recognize that charge, because I was only thinking about it. I didn't act, so at most I have a delusional disorder. Isn't it permissible to have fantasies?" Zhang Xin defended herself with a wronged expression.
"Miss Zhang Xin, I find what you're saying quite reasonable. But if you put it that way, we can't really have a conversation." Ning Beichen had lived for so many years and had never encountered someone like her. Setting aside everything else, this woman was definitely extraordinary.
"Then let's not talk. We're not close." Zhang Xin started walking out. However, she soon found Ning Beichen blocking her path.
"Miss Zhang Xin, please don't take me for an idiot. Thank you."
"I didn't mean that. I just thought, since I didn't make a move, everything is negotiable, right?" Zhang Xin knew she couldn't fool him anymore and looked at Ning Beichen.
"Miss Zhang Xin, you sound much more pleasant this way." Ning Beichen nodded with a smile.
Zhang Xin gave a wry smile and looked at Ning Beichen. "You knew I was coming to kill you all along, didn't you?"
"Let me guess. No one would offer ten billion to have you killed. This is a trap set for me. Whoever hired you to kill me is either one of your people or someone you arranged." Ning Beichen looked at Zhang Xin, somewhat surprised. This woman was too intelligent. In less than fifteen minutes, she had figured out the whole situation.
"That's not important. What's important is that you came to kill me. Whether you acted or not, your Hongmen accepted this business. Killing me means offending me. Do you acknowledge this?" Ning Beichen asked her.
"Can I refuse?" Zhang Xin knew she had run into a hard obstacle and said helplessly.
"What do you think?" In the face of absolute power, Ning Beichen wasn't afraid of Zhang Xin playing any tricks, as it would be meaningless.
"Alright, I admit defeat. What do you want?" Zhang Xin wasn't obstinate, but that didn't mean she was truly scared. If she didn't have some skills, how could she be the sect leader of Hongmen?
"I heard you have a copy of the Jiugong Ce. Give me the Jiugong Ce, and I'll forgive your attempt to kill me," Ning Beichen said with a smile.
"To correct you, I didn't kill you. I can give you the Jiugong Ce, but you'll have to buy it for ten billion." By now, Zhang Xin had figured out Ning Beichen's objective, but it was impossible for him to get the Jiugong Ce from her so easily. She did possess a copy of the Jiugong Ce, but it was a family heirloom, hers alone, not belonging to Hongmen. Zhang Xin didn't place much value on the Jiugong Ce; in her eyes, it was a useless piece of trash. However, taking it from her without paying a price was impossible.
"Miss Zhang Xin, I'm not negotiating with you right now. This is the price you have to pay for attempting to kill me." Ning Beichen naturally didn't have ten billion to give her, and even if he did, he wouldn't spend it.
"I didn't kill you." Zhang Xin argued.
"Enough with the nonsense. I'm not an idiot, and you're not a fool. You didn't come here to kill me, so don't tell me you're just visiting." Ning Beichen glanced at her.
"Ning Beichen, are you so sure you can keep me here? Do you really think Zhang Xin is a pushover?" Zhang Xin was also annoyed. She hadn't killed him, and this guy was getting greedy.