Chapter Six: Leaving the Xiao Family

Those in higher positions within the Xiao family each performed their respective duties, yet one thing remained unchanged: at the end of every month, all were required to report to the family head. For instance, the state of their own domains, any lurking dangers—matters of this nature. As the leader of the shadow guards, Ye Min was no exception. After delivering his report to Xiao Muran in the study, he prepared to take his leave.

Seated beside his writing desk, Xiao Muran suddenly lifted his gaze. “Would you like to go see Little Nine?” he asked.

Ye Min’s body stiffened for a fleeting instant. After a moment’s silence, he replied, “There’s no need.”

Xiao Muran intertwined his fingers, resting his chin upon them. A smile lingered at his lips, yet his eyes were shrouded in gloom. Ye Min, facing away, failed to sense the ominous undercurrent. Xiao Muran continued, “But I think Little Nine may have remembered you.”

Darkness clouded Ye Min’s face, and his voice grew low. “Muran, you’re overthinking it.” With that, Ye Min turned and left the study.

Xiao Muran let out a cold snort, the smile vanishing from his face. Ungrateful wretch—how could someone like him covet what belonged to the Xiao family? Xiao Muran’s eyes grew fathomless with shadow. He clapped his hands lightly; a man dressed in black appeared before him—a member of the family’s personal guard.

“Master, your orders?” the black-clad man asked.

Xiao Muran rose and gazed out the window. The sky was a flawless azure, the sunlight abundant—a rare day of such fine weather…

He spoke at last. “What is Ye Min’s next mission?”

The black-clad man replied, “Master, his next assignment is the highest-level mission within the Xiao family.” Inwardly, he thought, As rumored, the master must indeed be close to Brother Ye. Perhaps, hearing how perilous this top-level mission is, he wishes to send us, the personal guard, to aid him. To serve under such a master is truly our fortune! The man felt a surge of gratitude.

He did not expect Xiao Muran to turn and smile, saying, “For this task, Ye Min is outnumbered and shall die in the line of duty. Do you understand?”

Though his face was masked, the black-clad man’s shock was unmistakable in his eyes. “Master!” he cried. What was this? Ye Min was a rare talent in every respect, and the master had all but raised him, treating him as a brother or even a son. Had the master lost his mind?

Xiao Muran grew impatient. “Enough! That is an order.”

The black-clad man’s face turned solemn, but a deep disappointment flickered in his eyes. He gritted his teeth. “Yes.” To serve under such a master—the Xiao family’s decline must be near. No, he would have to notify Old Master Xiao immediately.

He rushed to the residence of Old Master Xiao, only to learn he had left early that morning to visit a friend and would not return for several days. The guard quickly dispatched someone to deliver the urgent message, hoping the old master might return in time to prevent disaster.

But for now, they were powerless. The personal guard of the Xiao family—any who disobeyed orders would be punished as human swine, a fate worse than death. They could only take one step at a time. Returning to the guard’s quarters, the black-clad man called out, “All assemble!”

On a high slope, Ye Min looked in the direction where Xiao Jiu lived. At last, he had made his decision: after this mission, he would resign from the Xiao family and spend the rest of his days quietly in a small town.

He could not say, as Xiao Jiu grew older, whether he could maintain his sanity, whether he could keep hidden the unseemly thoughts he harbored for Xiao Jiu. Ye Min gave a self-mocking laugh. Unable to let go, unable to obtain, unable to forget—better to distance himself, to let time gradually erase all memory…

“Brother Ye, let’s go!” a shadow guard reminded him.

“All right.” For the first time, Ye Min withdrew his gaze with crisp decisiveness and turned away. The guard, watching his departing figure, felt his eyes sting. Their leader! That lonely, sorrowful back looked as if it were bidding the world a final farewell…

Nonsense! What a thing to think! Their leader was so strong—how could anything happen to him? The guard shook his head and hastened after Ye Min.

This assignment was a deadly clash with their own kind—top assassins, unaffiliated yet renowned in the underworld, their fame equal to that of the Xiao family. Their mission: to eliminate them once and for all.

Standing out too much inevitably aroused suspicion, and besides, these assassins had committed the greatest taboo of their world—too many innocent lives stained their hands, too many grievances called out for justice. Those in power would never tolerate them. In the end, karma would have its due.

In the underworld, debts must one day be paid.

The Xiao family’s intelligence network reported that the targets would be taking shelter in a ruined temple. Ye Min dispatched scouts to lie in wait.

On a moonless, windy night, the sound of hooves drew near. Yao Yuan halted before the ruined temple, turned, and teased his companion, “Hey, big oaf—did you tip them off ahead of time? Quite the welcoming party we’ve got!”

The shadow guards were startled. Truly worthy opponents. Ye Min signaled them to remain calm, then strode forward alone, sword drawn, its faint white glow casting frost upon the ground.

Yao Yuan raised an eyebrow, eyes narrowing. Is that Ye Feng? No, that man died years ago. Yet this youth looked exactly as Ye Feng had in his prime. Could he be Ye Feng’s son? How amusing—the old icicle had left behind a secret heir! Yao Yuan called out mockingly, “Well, well, isn’t this Ye Feng? What wind has blown you our way? How much effort did it take to drag you out of hell and back?”

Ye Feng? Ye Min was puzzled. They shared a surname—did this man know about the massacre years ago? He replied evenly, “You mistake me for another. I am Ye Min.”

Yao Yuan covered his mouth in exaggerated shock. “Ye Min? I was mistaken? Impossible! Young man, you look exactly as Ye Feng did when he was young!”

Exactly alike? Ye Min wondered why he had never heard of Ye Feng.

Yao Yuan scrutinized him, then continued, “Ah, I see—you’re Ye Min, the number one ranked assassin today! You’ve really done your father proud! Old man Ye reigned at the top for years, now his son takes his place. The Ye family is extraordinary indeed!”

He burst out laughing, the sound eerie in the night. Behind him, his men stood silent and ready—the mark of a true leader.

Ye Min swept his sword at him, unwilling to waste words. Yao Yuan leapt from his horse. “By seniority, I’m your uncle at least! Must you be so ruthless?” The boy nearly ruined his face!

As Ye Min attacked, the shadow guards surged forth. At that moment, black-clad figures supporting the Xiao family’s guard also appeared behind Yao Yuan’s group.

Yao Yuan’s expression turned grim. “So, nephew Ye—you really mean to show your uncles no mercy.”

The two sides faced off. Suddenly, Yao Yuan tore away his black cloak, drew twin blades, and declared, “Very well—tonight, Uncle Yao will show you the true meaning of dual blades!”

With that, he charged at Ye Min. Once the leader moved, all the others followed. The two sides clashed, each move lethal, granting the enemy no quarter.

Yao Yuan and Ye Min exchanged over a hundred blows. Gradually, Yao Yuan lost ground. With a sudden slash, Ye Min landed a blade on his arm, freezing it instantly. One sword clattered to the ground—the outcome was clear.

Suddenly, Yao Yuan dropped to his knees. Only then did he realize he was the last of his brothers standing. So be it—it was time to see the old icicle again. Ye Min pressed his sword to Yao Yuan’s neck. “Who is Ye Feng?” he demanded.

Yao Yuan laughed, then threw himself upon Ye Min’s blade—deliberately delivering a fatal wound.

The mission complete, Ye Min turned to question the black-clad man, but suddenly, a shadow guard leapt at him and collapsed atop him, dead before he could speak. Ye Min checked for breath—gone. He looked up; the black-clad man sheathed his sword and said coldly, “By order of the master! Ye Min, outnumbered and killed in action! Brother Ye, we act on orders. Forgive us!”

Ye Min walked a few paces, handing the fallen guard off to his companions. “Take him back and see he is properly cared for. I’ll return shortly…”

“Chief!” they cried in unison.

Ye Min, for once, did not retort. “Return.”

One guard shouted, “If it comes to it, we’ll fight them! Our chief gave everything to the Xiao family—how can they repay him like this?!”

“Enough!” Ye Min barked. “That’s an order!”

They had no choice but to obey. When all had left, Ye Min, sword in hand, walked alone toward the personal guard.

They surrounded him—nothing new. Just another fight. So, the Xiao family no longer held a place for Ye Min.

A desolate sorrow filled his eyes. The world was vast—if even the Xiao family would not have him, where could he go?

The wind lifted his sleeves, tousled his hair. The night air was bitterly cold, yet it could not compare to the chill within him. His gaze was calm, but his movements swift. Hemmed in by so many, he inevitably took a few blows, but his injuries were nothing compared to those he dealt the others—if only because he still held back, refusing to kill.

The black-clad man lay on the ground, gasping, “Thank you, Brother Ye, for your mercy!”

Ye Min sheathed his sword and turned to leave. Before he went, there was something that needed to be said.

Xiao Muran sat at his desk, fingers drumming in a steady rhythm as he awaited news. Suddenly, the wind slammed the door open. Xiao Muran rose to close it, only for Ye Min to enter.

So it was, Xiao Muran thought. Even the personal guard could not match Ye Min. “What brings you to me so late?”

Ye Min regarded him. He could not understand why Xiao Muran had changed so drastically. Once, Xiao Muran’s eyes had shone with light, making him seem bright and confident. Now, that light was gone—his smile was all surface, skin deep.

In a low voice, Ye Min said, “I am leaving the Xiao family.”

“Leaving?” Xiao Muran mused. Good—better he leave than make a scene here. He sat and sipped freshly brewed tea. “Very well. You’ve served the family for many years, you know the rules. Leave behind one thing from your person, and you may go in peace, live a quiet life, and never again have any connection to anything or anyone from the Xiao family.”

“Agreed,” Ye Min replied softly. He removed the mask from his face, exposing the faint scar upon his cheek.

Raising his sword, he blinded himself with a single stroke. Agony flooded his vision. As darkness swallowed him, images of Xiao Jiu flashed through his mind—her frown, her focus, her guilty look after mischief. At last, she appeared, small and soft, reaching out to him with a smile, calling, “Ah Ye…”

Xiao Muran was startled by Ye Min’s action. What—? For a moment, his mind cleared, and he stood frozen as Ye Min staggered out into the night.

But the dizziness soon returned. Xiao Muran’s gaze hardened, bleak and cold. “Someone, follow Ye Min—do not let him leave alive…”

Once you step into the world of assassins, escape is never so easy. If he spread word that Ye Min had left the Xiao family…

The top assassin, now alone and friendless, would become a pariah, hunted by all.

In the end, he would not even need to lift a finger to drag Ye Min down to the eighteenth level of hell—from which he would never rise again.