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Late at night, at Heping Farm.

It was pitch black all around, with only a few windows letting in a dim yellow light.

The wind howled through the treetops, like the whispers of ghosts.

Inside the living room, an old-fashioned pendulum clock hangs on the wall.

Tick, tick.

The clock slowly pointed to midnight.

The old badger stood by the window.

He turned to the side, used his calloused right index finger to lift a corner of the curtain, and stared at the movements outside.

The wind was strong, making the wooden window frames shake constantly and produce an annoying clanging sound.

After watching for a while, I released my fingers, and the heavy nylon curtains fell down again.

The old badger turned around and looked at the man sitting in the middle of the tattered sofa:
"Boss, do you really think... that Illuminati leader would dare to come to the appointment?"

Ghost Fox sat in the main seat, holding a white porcelain teacup in his hand.

He lowered his head, blew away the floating leaves swirling on the water's surface, and slowly took a sip.

As he swallowed the warm tea, a few thin blood vessels could be faintly seen wriggling under his skin on his pale neck.

“If he doesn’t come, we’ll kill everyone here after midnight tonight.”

Ghost Fox put down his teacup, the bottom of which struck the table with a dull thud.

"Then we'll evacuate Dongdu overnight to avoid the limelight for now. As for that list, I'll personally explain it to the higher-ups and make sure it doesn't implicate my brothers."

He paused here, his narrow eyes narrowing slightly, a cold, sinister glint flashing in his pupils:

"But if he comes, it proves that he really thinks too highly of himself and believes that he can fight against our Black Shark organization on his own. We must deal with him carefully."

Upon hearing this, the old badger nodded in agreement:
"To become the leader of an organization in Dongdu, I reckon that guy must be at the S-level, which is the same level as you, Boss."

"Screw him!"

Sitting at the other end of the sofa, Blood Jackal patted his bald, tattooed head and grinned maliciously:
"Boss, don't worry. We have so many brothers lurking outside, all of them elites who have crawled out of piles of corpses. Dealing with a newly established local organization is a piece of cake for them."

Ghost Fox glanced at Blood Jackal and rebuked him in a deep voice:

"Remember the assassin's code: never let your guard down or underestimate your enemy!"

He verbally criticized them, but in his heart he actually agreed with their statement.

As the person in charge of Black Shark's training base in Xia Country, the resources he mobilized this time were undoubtedly substantial.

Besides the two silver-ranked assassins guarding the living room, there were gold-ranked assassins personally leading their teams to lie in ambush in each of the three bungalows arranged in a triangular pattern outside.

Those three were all top assassins in the organization, skilled in close combat and hidden weapon attacks, and their strength had long been firmly established at the peak of A-level.

As soon as the target enters the area within 200 meters of the farm, the people in the three outer houses will immediately move out, forming a pincer movement.

At that time, whether it's a volley of gunfire or a combined attack of supernatural abilities, it would be enough to dismantle a heavily armored vehicle into pieces within half a minute.

Even if the enemy manages to break through the outer defenses, there's still a sniper named "Poison Bee" lying on the water tower on the mountaintop behind them.

Although Poison Bee is nominally a silver-ranked assassin, her record in long-range assassinations far surpasses that of many gold-ranked assassins.

He once single-handedly killed an entire special forces unit from a South American country in the jungle over three days, using only a rifle.

He himself didn't even get his clothes torn, and he was completely unharmed.

The heavy weapon in Poison Bee's hand, which had been specially modified, could easily tear through the bulletproof steel plates of armored vehicles.

If the shot hits, the target's body will definitely be riddled with a bloody hole.

Even S-rank powerhouses cannot escape the fate of death.

It can be said that the fox spirit laid a flawless trap around this peaceful farm.

Even if that person truly possessed extraordinary abilities to break into this main building, there was still the S-rank leader personally overseeing the situation.

Ghost Fox snorted softly, casually resting his left hand on his knee.

In the unseen darkness, thousands of mutated poisonous insects, nurtured with the essence of blood, have been scattered throughout the soil and cracks in the walls within a radius of hundreds of meters.

These insects not only act as sensitive alarms, but they also crawl all over an enemy's body along the soles of their shoes at the very first moment of battle.

Then it burrows into the body through the ear canal and nostrils, tearing and gnawing away at the target's internal organs.

As he pondered, the coldness in the fox spirit's eyes intensified.

In fact, cleaning up Li Jie's traitors and recovering the list were just troubles that he had to get rid of as soon as possible.

What truly made him feel the invisible pressure was another major operation that the organization had recently planned in Xia Country.

Above Ghost Fox and his group, besides the Black Shark leader who rarely shows his face, there is an even more terrifying figure currently in charge of Dongdu City.

The organization's top leadership attaches great importance to this strategic deployment in the Xia Kingdom.

Their team was originally required to lie low at the base, ready to cooperate with the big shot's actions at any time.

To cover up the scandal of losing the list, Ghost Fox mobilized more than a dozen elite members to ambush the area.

If, at this critical juncture, a few defectors cause too much of a disturbance and alert the special investigation team, thus ruining the organization's long-planned scheme...

The punishment he would face would be a hundred times more miserable than the one caused by the "Ten Thousand Gu Corrupting the Heart".

"Tonight's hunt must succeed; there can be no mistakes."

Ghost Fox withdrew his gaze, turned to look at his two trusted confidants, and his voice suddenly turned cold:

"Tell the men below to keep their skin on high alert. It's windy outside, and any unusual activity must be reported immediately."

"Once someone shows up, listen to my instructions and be ready to act at any time. We must not give the enemy a chance to retaliate."

The blood jackal and the old badger exchanged a glance, then straightened their backs in unison.

"Understood, boss!"

The fox spirit lowered its eyes and said nothing more.

The dark purple centipede that was coiled in the tiger's mouth sensed its master's emotions, quickly slithered along his knuckles, and then slipped back into the wide sleeve of his trench coat.

The windows rattled loudly in the wind.

A torrential downpour was approaching outside, and a fierce wind, carrying a chilling intent, swirled above the Peace Farm.

The farm owner and his family, tied up in the corner, looked desperate.

The male homeowner lay on the ground, with dried blood still hanging from the corner of his mouth.

The woman looked pale and shielded her two children with her body.

All four of them closed their eyes, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

On the load-bearing pillar in the center of the hall, Li Jie, covered in wounds, moved his neck.

He struggled to lift his heavy eyelids and stared at the tightly closed door through his blood-blurred vision.

Tick, tick.

The wall clock chimed monotonously.

The minute hand moved little by little toward twelve o'clock.

The time is approaching midnight.

Suddenly, a series of electrical static noises came from the miniature communicator in the badger's ear.

Immediately following was the sound of slightly rapid breathing.

The old badger's expression shifted, and he immediately raised his hand to press the earpiece.

A moment later, he abruptly turned to look at the fox spirit sitting on the sofa and reported in a low voice:
"Boss, they're here!"

"You're here?"

Bloodjackal's eyes lit up, and he abruptly moved his buttocks off the sofa.

His right hand instantly gripped the hilt of the military knife on the side of his thigh, his face full of excitement.

The ghost fox sat motionless in place.

He just tilted his head slightly, and his ear twitched.

He had accurately detected the subtle footsteps by listening to the feedback from the insects scattered in the grass.

Two people are walking towards the main building of the farm.

He slowly stood up, pulling up the collar of his trench coat to cover his sharp chin.

"Prepare to take action as planned."

The fox spirit's gaze was cold, and his tone was chilling:
"Since they dared to accept the challenge, let's send them on their way."

A murderous glint flashed in his eyes as he made up his mind.

Tonight, this remote farm will inevitably become the graveyard of that so-called Illuminati.

Once he gets rid of that arrogant leader and retrieves the secret list, he can immediately return to the base to report back and atone for his crimes.

....................................

A fierce wind swept across the open fields and over the rooftops of Peace Farm.

A suffocating darkness and silence descended all around. "Pat, pat."

Faint footsteps echoed outside the courtyard, crushing the dry branches on the ground.

Two figures emerged from the darkness, one after the other.

From the surrounding bungalows, it seemed as if pairs of lurking eyes had been lit up, coldly staring at the two uninvited guests with intense killing intent.

"Snapped."

The high-voltage lights in the farmyard suddenly turned on.

The blinding white light formed a huge halo, completely enveloping the two uninvited guests.

The man on the left is burly, bald, wearing a tight black vest, with his thick muscles bulging high.

The person on the right was thin, with a pale face due to blood loss, and his body was wrapped in bandages in many places. His steps were slightly unsteady.

It was Fat Tiger and Li Fei.

"Li Fei, you're still alive?"

A slightly surprised male voice came from the living room of the main building.

Li Fei stopped, looked up, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the main building window, and gritted his teeth as he replied:
"Ghost Fox, you're not dead, how could I bear to leave first!"

Inside the main building's living room.

The old badger and the blood jackal exchanged a glance, their faces full of astonishment.

According to common sense within the organization, Li Fei, after taking the Three Corpse Brain God Pill, would not last more than twenty-four hours without the leader's unique antidote.

Under normal circumstances, he should be suffering from brain damage and nerve tearing by now, unable to walk or even speak.

But now, Li Fei is standing outside, alive and kicking.

Old Badger's heart skipped a beat, and a bad premonition surged up.

Since the other party can undo this level of poison, have they completely figured out the capabilities and personnel of our group?

In front of the load-bearing column.

Li Jie, who was on the verge of losing consciousness, heard his junior brother's voice.

He was jolted awake and tried to raise his head to speak.

However, due to excessive blood loss, he could only open his chapped lips, unable to utter a sound from his throat.

The family, huddled in the corner, were filled with fear and uncertainty, huddled together and trembling.

The fox spirit stood by the window.

He raised his hand and pulled the entire curtain open in one swift motion.

Through a pane of glass, his gaze passed over Li Fei, who was standing dozens of meters away, and landed on the burly man next to him, whose physique was like an iron tower.

"Is this the president of the Illuminati?"

Blood Jackal approached the window and sized up Fat Tiger.

Seeing that the other was also bald and muscular, Bloodjackal curled his lip and muttered:

"Looks like me, a brute who relies solely on physical enhancement. Apart from being big, he's not much to look at."

Ghost Fox ignored Blood Jackal's words.

He pushed open a window halfway, and his deep voice drifted into the courtyard on the wind:

"Are you the president of the Illuminati? What's your name?"

Under the light, Fat Tiger raised his hand and touched his bald head, tilted his chin up, and replied in a gruff voice:

"I'm the head of the Illuminati, I never change my name or surname! The brothers in the underworld give me face, calling me Brother Tiger. And you're that Ghost Fox guy?"

Ghost Fox narrowed his long, narrow eyes, his sharp gaze sweeping over Fat Tiger twice.

This crude manner was far removed from the image of the ruthless leader he had envisioned, someone who could stir up trouble in the Eastern Capital.

But he didn't show any unusual reaction, he just spoke coldly:
Did you bring what I asked for?

Upon hearing this, Fat Tiger patted the blue shoulder bag on his shoulder with his palm.

"The item is in the bag."

He shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Where is Li Jie? I need to see him first, to make sure he's all in good condition, before I can give you the list."

Upon hearing this, the fox spirit scoffed, its eyes revealing undisguised contempt:
"The list originally belonged to Black Shark. Your Illuminati broke the rules first, so what makes you think you can negotiate with me now?"

Li Fei immediately stepped forward, clenched his fists, and roared:
"If my senior brother dies, you won't get the list. We might as well all die together!"

Ghost Fox braced his hands on the windowsill, the wind making his black trench coat flutter.

After seemingly considering for a moment, he spoke:
“Okay, but I need to inspect the goods first and confirm that the list is genuine before we talk about releasing the people. Li Fei, the trick you used to fool people with a fake list last time can only be used once with me.”

Fat Tiger said nonchalantly:
"Sure, just send anyone over to inspect the goods."

The fox spirit turned its head and gave the order:

"Old Badger, you go."

The old badger's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed.

He glanced at the two uninvited guests in the courtyard and was a hundred times unwilling to take on this dangerous task.

But intimidated by the fox spirit's methods, he dared not refuse and could only grit his teeth and draw the pistol from his waist.

The old badger carefully pushed open the gate and walked down the steps.

He gripped the gun with both hands, his eyes filled with vigilance, and gradually approached Fatty Tiger and Li Fei.

After stopping two meters away, Old Badger pointed the gun at Fat Tiger's head:

"Take the things out slowly."

Gian grinned, revealing a set of white teeth:
"What are you afraid of? It's not like it'll eat you."

He then unzipped the blue shoulder bag, reached inside, rummaged around, and pulled out a crumpled brown paper document bag.

"Here, take it and look at it carefully."

Fat Tiger grabbed the document bag by one corner with one hand and threw it forward.

Old Badger took the file bag with his left hand, his gaze quickly sweeping over Fat Tiger and Li Fei.

After confirming that the two people were not making any unusual movements, he lowered his head, pinched the sealing line with his thumb, and prepared to untangle the thread.

"Hey buddy."

Fat Tiger suddenly spoke.

The badger paused, then raised its head.

Fat Tiger pointed to the overhead light and lowered his voice:
"It's so dark, can you even see the words?"

The old badger was taken aback by what he heard.

What is that? Isn't there a light shining on it?
In the instant that thought flashed through my mind.

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound of a power outage rang out.

The high-voltage lights in the yard went out instantly.

Immediately afterwards, the lights in the main building's living room and the distant bungalows all went out at the same time.

The entire farm seemed to be dragged into pure darkness by an invisible hand.

What happened? Is there a power outage?

Before anyone could even react.

"boom--"

A deafening explosion resounded from the load-bearing wall on the west side of the main building's living room.

The entire two-story brick building shook violently.

The wall, which was 20 centimeters thick and reinforced with steel bars, looked as if it had been hit head-on by a whistling supersonic missile.

With a piercing metallic cracking sound, the hard concrete revealed huge, net-like cracks and collapsed completely in an instant.

Broken bricks, cement blocks, and twisted steel bars, carrying terrifying kinetic energy, poured into the living room like a heavy fragmentation grenade.

The fox spirit reacted extremely quickly.

The moment the wall shattered, he clasped his hands together in front of his chest.

A surge of immense mental power burst forth from his body, transforming into an invisible barrier that shattered all the brick fragments that were hurtling toward his face.

The blood jackal was a bit slow, but relying on its powerful body, it suddenly rolled to the side and backward several times.

A strong wind rushed into the house through the huge opening.

Immediately afterwards, a figure appeared inside the room. (End of Chapter)