Chapter 203: Chapter 45 - Five-second Defense_4
"Eh? What did you just say?" The Master responded with some surprise.
"I said, one of your minions killed my parasite. You should know how difficult it is to cultivate a parasite. It’s even more challenging than nurturing your annihilation experts." The Guild Leader articulated with rage.
The Master replied, "How is that possible? Only my ace assassin from the Yuan Group could possibly be capable of killing a parasite under single combat conditions. But they have all been at ’home’. I haven’t assigned them to undertake any tasks. Have you misunderstood something? You know well that our Assassins’ Guild has always shared a mutually beneficial relationship with your Thieves’ Guild."
"Humph! Do you think I would make such a mistake? Only your ace assassin, the ’Nether King’, could perform the Hades Sword Technique: Heaven Earth Shaker. It was ’The Nether King’s’ disciple who killed my minion with the Sword of Hades."
The Master exclaimed, "What did you just say? The Nether King’s disciple? Is he a young lad who appears a bit dull?"
The Guild Leader snorted coldly, "Since you’ve admitted it, matters will be easier to handle. You must give us a satisfying explanation."
The Master contemplated for a moment, then responded, "What do you want me to account for? I’ve been looking for this person too. Oh right, you might not be aware, but the Nether King has already defected from the Assassins’ Guild."
The Guild Leader of Thieves’ Guild was taken aback, but quickly uttered a cold laugh, "Who do you think you’re fooling? The Nether King has done countless tasks for your Assassins’ Guild. I bet even you can’t tally his merits. Can you really afford to ignore him, giving him a chance to betray? Moreover, knowing your style, would you spare him even after his betrayal?"
The Master’s voice was laced with anger, "Don’t try to intimidate me. If things sour between us, it wouldn’t be good for anyone. You should remember how The Nether King joined our guild. He overheard a conversation between me and my subordinate, learning our secrets. With such knowledge, wouldn’t he feel compelled to betray? Although I reacted quickly and had my men administer the Infallible Holy Water to him, his power is formidable, and he somehow escaped. He even managed to dodge my attempts at pursuit twice. As of now, the Nether King is presumed dead. And our Assassins’ Guild has paid the price in lost members: three annihilators, six Yuan assassins, and one Vice President’s arm. I know of the boy you speak. He does seem to be the Jolly King’s disciple. It seems the Nether King has passed on his Infernal Sword to him. My men are also trying to track him down. His murdering your men has nothing to do with us. Where were your men when they encountered him?"
After hearing the Master’s explanation, the Thieves’ Guild Leader calmed down slightly, and in a deep voice, he stated, "In the Elf Forest of the Tian Yuan Clan. However, he might have already left that place. As for where he’s headed - I’m not sure. If what you say is true, I’ll have my men track down the boy, and I hope you’ll put an end to him."
The Master held his excitement, instead exhibiting a bland expression, "Fine, this matter will be handled by us. I understand that your Thieves’ Guild isn’t as casual about taking lives as we are in the Assassins’ Guild. What did the parasite go to Elf Forest for? Do you have any major tasks lined up? You are getting increasingly wealthy!"
The Thieves’ Guild Leader secretly trembled. He had been at odds with the Master of the Assassins’ Guild for quite some time, so he scoffed, "That’s not something I can tell you. You know your Assassins’ Guild makes money faster than we do. Anyway, I’ll let you know as soon as there’s news". Completing his sentence, he disappeared, leaving only traces of his shadow.
The Master chuckled to himself, murmuring, "As if I would let you control the actions of the Assassins’ Guild..."
A one-armed man appeared next to the Master and whispered, "Master, he’s becoming more and more arrogant, should we..."
The Master raised his hand to stop him, declaring, "No, the power of Thieves’ Guild is not lesser than ours, and there are numerous opportunities for collaboration between both. It’s not time to move them yet. We had initially kept the matter of Nether King a secret, but now he has learned about it. Our power has significantly reduced without the Nether King. Order all the men who are out searching for the boy to return. The Thieves’ Guild will help us find him. If we can take him as our own, just like the Nether King, and train him for a while, we will once again possess the world’s top assassin."
The one-armed man hesitated, "But the Nether King died because of us. Would the boy comply?"
The Master coldly snorted, "There’s nothing in this world that cannot be done. It all depends on whether or not you are willing to try. We don’t need to rush on this matter. We’ll wait until there’s any news. Keep training your disciples hard because even a slight increase in strength can play a critical role in our future."
"Yes, Master." The one-armed man quietly withdrew, unaware that behind the composed demeanor of the Master was a pair of eyes flickering with a subtle red light.
"No, no, I’m not a devil." Ah Dai woke from his nightmare abruptly, sitting upright. He was panting heavily, just dreamt that countless innocent souls were surrounding him, demanding his life. After a while, he calmed down and found himself lying on a cold, hard stone, surrounded by darkness, barely making out a cave.
"You are awake." A clear voice echoed in Ah Dai’s ear.
Only then did Ah Dai realize that he was in the cave where the Sword Saint of the Tian Gang lived. "Great Ancestor, is that you? Why am I here in your cave?"
