With a clang.
The car door was dented inwards by a kick from Ning Beichen, the immense force of the impact sending the bald man behind the door flying.
Startled by Ning Beichen's strength, the man quickly raised the weapon in his hand and pulled the trigger, aiming at Ning Beichen.
With a *snap*.
From the silenced barrel, a tranquilizer dart shot towards Ning Beichen.
But Ning Beichen, as if he had anticipated it, dodged at the precise moment the bald man pulled the trigger, much to the man's shock.
If this guy had merely dodged the attack based on combat instinct, it would be one thing. But if he could predict it, or know his movements in advance, that would be terrifying. Such a person was not someone he could handle.
Seeing Ning Beichen approach, the man swung the weapon in his hand like a club and kicked towards Ning Beichen.
However, before his kick could connect with Ning Beichen, he felt as if his leg had struck a steel plate, causing his face to turn ashen with pain. At that moment, a fist landed on his face, and the weapon in his hand was gone.
A storm of blows, like the rapid beats of a drum, rained down on the man. Ning Beichen's fists left his face bloody. In just a second, the man felt his life was worse than death.
"Tell me, who sent you to deal with Liu Yilin?"
Ning Beichen interrogated him with murderous intent.
The man gave Ning Beichen a cruel, sinister grin. He opened his mouth and spat towards Ning Beichen.
Ning Beichen's expression changed drastically. He quickly kicked the man away, forcing him to swallow back the blood he was about to spray.
However, when Ning Beichen approached again, he saw that the man had succumbed to poison, his face already blackened. Ning Beichen checked and found a totem of a one-winged eagle on the back of his neck.
"It's a killer from the Heavenly Eagle Tower!"
Seeing the man's appearance, Ning Beichen's brows furrowed tightly.
He likely hadn't expected someone from the Heavenly Eagle Tower to take the job. It was a shame the man was already dead. This was the typical nature of assassins; failure to complete a mission meant only death. Even if Ning Beichen hadn't killed him, he would have faced a punishment worse than death upon his return.
Ning Beichen searched the man's clothes thoroughly. Besides a poisoned dagger and a gun that fired tranquilizer darts, there were no other pieces of evidence or belongings.
To avoid trouble, Ning Beichen took the body away and found an uninhabited spot. He sprinkled a handful of powder on the corpse. After waiting for a while, the body dissolved into yellow water, and only then did Ning Beichen leave.
On his way back, Ning Beichen also checked the surroundings for any lingering enemies. However, such a situation was generally unlikely. Moreover, based on the tranquilizer darts used by the assailant, Ning Beichen guessed that the other party likely intended to kidnap Liu Yilin rather than kill her.
Why would they kidnap her? Was it for money? Ning Beichen analyzed in his mind.
If it were about money, Liu Yilin did have quite a bit. But compared to the magnates, she was nothing. There were many people richer than her.
The Heavenly Eagle Tower had a long history. Tracing its origins back might lead to the late Qing dynasty. It was rumored to have ties with a certain white flower. Due to its unsavory nature, it relocated overseas at the end of the Republic of China era.
The Heavenly Eagle Tower had a low profile domestically but was present everywhere overseas, specializing in discreet operations for financial magnates, powerful families, and politicians. It ranked quite high among overseas assassins.
However, the Heavenly Eagle Tower had always operated overseas and rarely made any noise domestically. This was why Ning Beichen found it strange to learn the assassin was from the Heavenly Eagle Tower.
But no matter what, since it was someone from the Heavenly Eagle Tower, it proved Liu Yilin was in grave danger. No wonder his master had ordered him to protect her.
Although Ning Beichen had found a reason to protect Liu Yilin, he still couldn't figure out her background. How could she warrant his master ordering him to protect her?
He knew that overseas, even influential figures might not receive such treatment.
Not long after, Ning Beichen returned. He told Liu Yilin that he hadn't caught the enemy, not wanting her to know that he had just dissolved the man's corpse.
Liu Yilin, feeling guilty, assumed the enemy had come to kill Ning Beichen and dared not ask further. She pretended to be concerned for him and then went to bed.
Ning Beichen returned to his room. Looking at the damaged door through the surveillance camera, he felt a headache coming on, hoping Liu Yilin wouldn't ask him to pay for it.
A night passed, and neither of them slept soundly. Liu Yilin kept looking at her broken door, fearing Ning Beichen might burst in with primal urges in the middle of the night.
Ning Beichen, on the other hand, was busy monitoring the surroundings. He also made several calls to his overseas subordinates and contacted his contacts domestically. He couldn't just passively protect Liu Yilin forever. He needed to gather intelligence and find out which faction was targeting her.
Then he would directly eliminate the faction targeting her. That was Ning Beichen's way of handling things, not like an ordinary bodyguard passively protecting a client.
This was why Ning Yama (King Yama) was so famous overseas, and why the wealthy were willing to pay any price to have him protect or assist them: because Ning Beichen's actions were always foolproof.
However, Ning Beichen was very mysterious overseas. Everyone only knew his nickname, Ning Yama. He was neither entirely righteous nor evil, and very few people knew his true face. Those who saw him usually saw him wearing a mask.
Ning Beichen had no choice. If he didn't disguise himself, within a day, all sorts of unsavory characters from around the world would come after him, including official forces.
Several days passed uneventfully.
During these few days, there were no assassinations or reckless individuals. Liu Yilin went to work as usual. Compared to the previous two days, there seemed to be fewer complications, allowing Ning Beichen to finally enjoy a few peaceful days.
However, there was still no news from the investigation into who was behind the attacks. The longer this went on, the more worried Ning Beichen became. Even he, the King of Darkness, couldn't figure out who was targeting her. This proved the opponent's background must be extraordinary.
During the day, Liu Yilin worked in her office. As her bodyguard, he wouldn't obediently stand guard at the door. After all, this was a company. As long as the assassin wasn't foolish, they wouldn't choose such a place to strike.