Chapter 312 - Assassin

Chapter 312: Chapter 320 AssassinLi Yifei did not alert Su Mengxin and did not look around either. His body was not tense but completely relaxed, yet his nerves swiftly identified the source of the killing intent. It was a man, an ordinary-looking man, but also an extraordinarily uncommon one.

To say he was ordinary was because his appearance was such that anyone who glanced at him would forget him instantly. To say he was uncommon was because of the aura of killing intent he emitted, which definitely could not be matched by just anyone.

Although the killing intent was strong, it wasn’t bursting forth from the man. Instead, it seemed he was deliberately concealing it. However, Li Yifei was particularly sensitive in this regard. Having served in the Flying Hawk Squad, he had completed so many missions without a single failure. His only injury was from taking a bullet for Su Mengxin, and a significant reason for his unblemished record was his sensitivity to this kind of killing intent.

Sensing the killing intent in advance allowed him to prepare and greatly reduced the risk of being ambushed. On real battlefields, direct assaults were rare, with stealth and ambush being preferred for their efficiency and minimal loss.

Using this sense, Li Yifei had evaded one ambush after another and often managed to catch his opponents off guard. Just imagine, the enemy thinking they had laid the perfect trap, only to fall into Li Yifei and his team’s counter-trap without any preparation. The outcome was not hard to imagine.

Li Yifei also sensed that this person’s target was not him, but Su Mengxin. In other words, this man had no idea that Huaxia’s strongest special forces operative was also present.

Turning to look at Su Mengxin, Li Yifei said with a smile, "You seem in high spirits today. I’ll take you out for some good food."

"What are we eating?" Su Mengxin immediately perked up at Li Yifei.

"Hehe, you’ll know when we get there. I bet you’ve never had this kind of food before."

"Really? You better not trick me." Su Mengxin’s mood improved even further. It was late, and Li Yifei was in the mood to take her out to eat, which added an interesting element to the evening. As for a candlelit dinner, she wasn’t in a hurry to have it.

Walking along the pedestrian path, they took a turn, and Li Yifei pointed to a small pathway ahead, saying, "Through here, and we’re right across."

"Great, let’s hurry over."

The small path lay between two old residential districts, probably a result of poor planning which left only a narrow alley that barely fit one car, and the streetlights were dim. At night, few people would choose this route.

"It’s so dark here," Su Mengxin muttered a few steps in, observing the tall residential walls on both sides. Their shadows cast by the street lamps stretched along the walls, and their footsteps echoed, adding a sinister feel to the alley—exactly why people generally avoided this place at night.

With Li Yifei by her side, Su Mengxin wasn’t afraid—not here, nor anywhere else. However, the ambiance made her, a woman, want to appear a bit vulnerable, to highlight a man’s bravery and strength. Besides, given the chance, she wanted to use her perceived weakness to get closer to Li Yifei.

Li Yifei did not disappoint her. Taking her hand, he chuckled, "Don’t be afraid. The public security in Mile City is actually very good. It’s just a bit dark here, but we’ll be out soon."

"Mm." Su Mengxin instinctively grabbed Li Yifei’s arm with her other hand, and they walked slowly down the dark alley like an intimate couple.

The man Li Yifei had sensed followed after them, but hesitated at the entrance of the alley. Confident in his abilities, Su Mengxin being alone would have been the perfect chance for him to strike. However, for some reason, he felt danger lurking, as if entering after them meant no return.

Could it be that man who posed the danger?

The man quickly dismissed the idea. He felt neither a fierce aura nor the presence of an expert from Li Yifei, so how could such a person possibly threaten him?

As for the possibility of concealed bodyguards protecting Su Mengxin, that too was unlikely. This operation wasn’t a solo effort; if there were other bodyguards around Su Mengxin, his associates would have noticed and informed him immediately.

Casting aside those absurd thoughts, the man rushed into the alley. He was fast, reaching right behind Li Yifei and Su Mengxin in the blink of an eye. His target was Su Mengxin, but since Li Yifei was there, to avoid future troubles, he had decided that Li Yifei must die.

He made his move, not against Su Mengxin but Li Yifei. With a dagger in hand, he reached from behind aiming for Li Yifei’s throat. A simple pull back would slice open Li Yifei’s windpipe. Not only would it be lethal, it would silence Li Yifei before he could even make a sound.

In movies and TV shows where an arrow shot to the chest leaves a person silent before they die—it’s all nonsense. Even if one’s heart is hit, they would not die instantly, so the best method for an assassin wanting to take a life silently is to cut the victim’s throat.

He was very confident in his move, a technique he had practiced tens of thousands of times. As long as he could gauge the opponent’s height, he could slice through their throat with his eyes closed. He had executed it on real people several times before, never once failing.

So, after making the motion to kill Li Yifei with his right hand, his left hand had already slashed towards Su Mengxin’s neck. He wasn’t there to kill Su Mengxin; he was there to abduct her.

But this time he made a mistake; he underestimated Li Yifei’s strength. He shouldn’t have divided his attention, or rather, he shouldn’t have made a move at all. If he had immediately fled, Li Yifei truly wouldn’t have been able to leave Su Mengxin behind to chase him.

By the time he realized his mistake, his sternum had already suffered a heavy blow. He could even feel several ribs breaking. Having failed his sneak attack, he had been counterattacked by Li Yifei.

The man was undeniably skilled. Although the heavy strike caused him searing pain, he managed to immediately use the momentum to retreat backward and, at the same time, threw the dagger in his hand lightning-fast towards Su Mengxin, not targeting Li Yifei but her.

He knew very well that he had encountered a master, and one stronger than himself to boot. The thrown Flying Dagger couldn’t possibly do anything to Li Yifei; his aim was to delay Li Yifei’s pursuit. Now that it was hurled at Su Mengxin, Li Yifei would definitely come to her rescue. This would be much more difficult for him than simply dodging, giving him a chance to buy a bit more time.

His tactic was not wrong and was indeed clever. But he was facing Li Yifei, a master far more adept than himself. With a stretch of his hand, Li Yifei had already caught the Flying Dagger, then with a flick of his wrist, he sent it flying back faster than it had come.

The man had never anticipated the Flying Dagger would be turned on him, so all his calculations were for escape, not evasion. By the time he saw the Flying Dagger heading towards him, it had already buried itself deep in his chest.

He neither screamed nor fell. He staggered back a few steps, stood still, fixed his gaze on Li Yifei, mouth agape, trying to say something, but no words came out. Then, with a thud, he fell to the ground.

From the moment the man made his move to being killed by Li Yifei, not even half a minute had passed. Su Mengxin only realized what was happening when Li Yifei’s elbow struck the man’s chest. By the time she turned her head, he was already dead.

"Let’s go," Li Yifei said softly, then reached out his arm and wrapped it around Su Mengxin’s waist, striding forward.

Su Mengxin didn’t say anything. In such a situation, she knew all of Li Yifei’s decisions were correct. She couldn’t afford to offer any suggestions, as that could easily put her in greater danger.

As they left the alley, no one else made a move, but Li Yifei already felt the presence of two masters on the walls. For Su Mengxin’s safety, the only option was to lead her out of the alley and not concern himself with the man he had killed.

The two people didn’t engage, obviously underestimating Li Yifei’s capabilities. Now realizing that any attempt would be futile, they ultimately decided against taking action. As soon as Li Yifei left, they quickly removed the dead man’s body.

At that moment, Su Mengxin was not worried. She disregarded all dangers and assassins; being held by Li Yifei just like in the dense forest, she felt immense safety. In fact, she found herself wishing for another attack, just so she could stay in Li Yifei’s embrace forever.

But no one attacked again, and shortly after, Li Yifei released her, whispering, "It’s safe now."

Su Mengxin’s heart was still racing, but she didn’t want Li Yifei to notice. She straightened up, lightly brushed her slightly messy hair back from her forehead, and smiled warmly. "Didn’t you say you’d take me for some good food?"

Li Yifei returned the smile. "It’s just up ahead."

Following Li Yifei’s pointed finger, Su Mengxin’s face lit up with a radiant smile. "Stinky tofu, huh? I’ve heard this stuff is pretty smelly."

"Yes, it is quite smelly, but the smell is just on the surface. It’s really tasty once you start eating it. Do you want to try?"

"Sure, I’ll try. And if it’s not good, I’m going to hold you accountable."

"No problem."

The two exchanged smiles and walked together towards the stinky tofu stall. Despite the dangers they had just faced, neither of them seemed troubled about it now. It was normal for Li Yifei not to be bothered, but for a woman like Su Mengxin to show such courage was truly admirable.