The Heir to the Seven Killers in the City

Chapter 17: The Goal

Perhaps because he had nowhere else to channel his energy, it all went toward enhancing his martial arts prowess. After finishing his meditation, Qin Yu felt deeply satisfied as he sensed his abundant inner energy and quickly drifted off to sleep. Early the next morning, a stretch Lincoln picked up Qin Yu and took him to a lavish underground casino. “They’re trying to corrupt my soul with money!” Qin Yu frowned, feeling rather out of place in his crisp suit. The pair of cufflinks on his sleeves alone were worth more than he’d spent in the past two years. Lin Xiaorui smiled gently: “Before every mission, Mr. Lin treats his collaborators this way. After all, being an assassin is a dangerous line of work—one must make the most of life’s pleasures while one can.” That made sense—so much so that Qin Yu couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine. But with the *Seven Kills Sutra* in his possession, he should rise to the pinnacle of the world, just like the protagonist of a fantasy novel. What was there to fear? So this little temptation was nothing; he might as well gamble to his heart’s content. After all, even if he lost, he wouldn’t have to pay out of his own pocket. With that mindset, Qin Yu ran rampant at the gambling table. After an exhilarating gambling session, quite a few stunning yet aloof female waitresses cast sultry glances his way. “I’m going to the restroom,” Qin Yu said, nodding to Lin Xiaorui. Lin Xiaorui gave him a knowing look, making Qin Yu feel a twinge of guilt as he rubbed his nose. Damn it, I’m just trying to pick up a girl—why should I feel guilty? While psyching himself up, Qin Yu let the bunny-girl-costumed waitress lead him to the restroom, which was so luxurious it felt like a suite. Once he closed the stall door, he found himself in a completely private little space. The bunny girl’s red lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to make some small talk, but Qin Yu roughly pinned her against the door, panting as he reached to unbutton her blouse. “Hey, hey, hold on, handsome! I don’t even know your name yet!” the bunny girl cooed repeatedly, her hands pushing him away ever so gently. Qin Yu, driven wild by her teasing, grabbed her restless hand: “Stop playing games. Isn’t it exactly what you want—for me to get straight to the point?” With that, his long finger gently flicked her jade-like earlobe, pulling off her large earring. Upon closer inspection, it was easy to see that it was a pinhole camera. So, aside from money and women, the casino also had honey traps. Qin Yu had truly broadened his horizons. The bunny girl’s face went pale in an instant. “Handsome guy… I don’t even know what this thing is. It’s not what you think—I just thought you were good-looking…” “Cut the crap!” Qin Yu placed one hand on his belt and glared at her defiantly. “Just say yes or no. I’m in a hurry.” Perhaps because Qin Yu’s demeanor was too rough-and-tumble and he was decked out in flashy gold, the bunny girl thought she’d crossed paths with some big shot she shouldn’t have messed with, and she was so scared that tears started streaming down her face. Qin Yu was getting annoyed. He raised his hand, and the bunny girl, grateful beyond measure, ran out without looking back, her high heels clacking against the tile floor—a sound that only made his unfulfilled desires even more restless. “Fuck!” He couldn’t even pick up a girl—this was a total disaster. Qin Yu had been looking for a bit of fun, but it didn’t work out. When he returned to Lin Xiaorui’s side, he was still in a foul mood. Lin Xiaorui spoke to him as usual, but—whether it was Qin Yu’s imagination or not—there was a hint of mockery in her eyes no matter what she said, making the situation rather awkward. “Brother Qin Yu, the next stop is the Polar Bungee…” Before Lin Xiaorui could finish her report, Qin Yu cut her off decisively: “I’m not going. I’m heading back to the hotel to rest. Also, if there are any assignments, send them over right away. My time is precious—I can’t afford to have you guys waste it like this.” Lin Xiaorui had no choice but to order her staff to cancel the activity and send Qin Yu back to the hotel, where Lin Hao was waiting for him in the living room. “Did you have a good time?” Lin Hao looked different today compared to when they’d last met—he seemed deep in thought, and his serious demeanor made Qin Yu wonder if he was plotting against him again. “It was okay. Get to the point.” Qin Yu also lit a cigarette and puffed on it with an air of sophistication, as if he’d picked up every bad habit overnight. Seeing this, Lin Hao cut to the chase. “I need you to break into the Fire Scorpion Gang again at night. Your target is Yang Yong, the gang’s leader.” With that, Lin Hao placed a folder in front of Qin Yong. Qin Yong had known all along that Lin Hao was connected to the Fire Scorpion Gang. He’d anticipated this long ago. Opening the folder Lin Hao had given him, Qin Yu saw a photo of a middle-aged man as refined and scholarly as Lin Hao himself—Bald Head, wearing a long robe, and twirling a slender string of Buddhist prayer beads in his hand. He looked educated, cultured, and, more importantly, wealthy. Qin Yu recognized the face; it belonged to a well-known scholar-businessman in the city. Rumor had it that he had brought in numerous projects and was highly regarded by the leadership, making him a key target for investment promotion. “He’s the leader of the Fire Scorpion Gang?” Qin Yu’s eyes widened in disbelief. Not to mention anything else, but this man looked far too inoffensive—he couldn’t even compare to the Third Brother. How could he possibly control the fierce and ruthless members of the Fire Scorpion Gang? “Don’t underestimate this guy. He’s the driving force behind the Fire Scorpion Gang—he built the whole thing from scratch. Plus, his background is way more complicated than either of us could imagine. Because of him, the Fire Scorpion Gang’s operations go beyond murder, arson, and arms dealing… You know what I mean, right?” Lin Hao blinked. So it has to do with drugs. Qin Yu wasn’t surprised by this—it would be strange if any gang didn’t deal in drugs. Qin Yu had a strange premonition that this Yang Yong would ultimately fall at his hands, and that this man would become a pivotal figure in his cultivation of the Seven Kills Sutra. “What do I need to do?” Qin Yu was already itching to get started. He was rubbing his hands together in anticipation, desperate to rush straight to the Fire Scorpion Gang’s headquarters and tear apart the ugly mask of this so-called “confucian businessman” who wore two faces—one in public and one in private. There was nothing he could do about it; that’s just how righteous he was right now. Lin Hao told Qin Yu to hold his horses: “There’s no rush. I’m just giving you a heads-up. We still need to plan the rest carefully. After all, in principle, this operation must succeed—failure is not an option.” Hearing this, Qin Yu felt a pang of unease. The last time he’d gone in alone, if it hadn’t been for Lin Xiaorui helping him dodge the hail of bullets, he might not even be sitting here right now. If only he could cultivate a protective barrier through his *Seven Kill Sutra* to shield him from the bullets. “So what you’re saying is—you’re going to assign me a few assistants?” Qin Yu asked Lin Hao uncertainly. He didn’t mind having a few more helpers to improve his chances of success, but he felt a bit uneasy. What if those people were complete incompetents? Wouldn’t that just set him up for failure? Lin Hao shook his head. The reason he’d chosen Qin Yu was precisely because he had a clean background—nothing to be investigated—and was a lone wolf who wouldn’t drag anyone else into this. His own henchmen, on the other hand, each had extensive criminal records and were deeply entangled in various schemes; if they were caught, the consequences would be unimaginable. So this time, Qin Yu would still have to go it alone, though Lin Hao would make sure everything was thoroughly prepared for him. Qin Yu felt a bit disappointed, yet also breathed a sigh of relief. Lin Hao stayed until very late, going over numerous precautions in detail—such as the number of checkpoints at the Fire Scorpion Gang’s headquarters, what to watch out for at each one, and even personally teaching him a few techniques to bypass them. Qin Yu was somewhat surprised by the extent of Lin Hao’s knowledge of the Fire Scorpion Gang. “Hey, old man, you aren’t a traitor to the Fire Scorpion Gang, are you? Trying to cover your tracks now?” Qin Yu boldly voiced his suspicion. A smile finally appeared on Lin Hao’s face. “Young man, your imagination is far more endearing than you are. Pretending to be worldly-wise isn’t the right path for you—you’d better change that.” The morning after Lin Hao left, a squad of instructors wearing military T-shirts and dark sunglasses arrived at Qin Yu’s suite. Each of them strode in with a powerful, commanding presence; though there were only four or five of them, they filled the entire room. After a day of grueling training, Qin Yu couldn’t help but marvel: if he’d been trained like this before, he wouldn’t have just killed a few low-level thugs during his last raid on the Fire Scorpion Gang. He finally understood how Lin Xiaorui’s masterful evasion skills had been unlocked—money really does make a difference. Qin Yu sat cross-legged on the bed, his muscles aching, but as he sat there, he gradually slid off the bed onto the floor. It was so hot—lately, he felt like he was on fire, as if he might burst into flames at any moment. He wondered if it was because of his cultivation of the Seven Kills Sutra. If so, did that mean he’d lost control of his qi?