After being startled awake, Lin Yi saw Loli Mine, who looked both shy and angry.
After figuring out what happened, he felt wronged but couldn't explain himself. It was probably just a habitual action he took while asleep.
It was a pity he didn't get to enjoy the moment fully. However, small things have their own advantages. It fits perfectly in one hand, which isn't bad, right?
But Mine's reaction was unusual. Based on her personality, she would have probably taken out her "Pumpkin" and threatened to kill Lin Yi earlier.
Now, she just looked shy and didn't attack him anymore.
Lin Yi subtly sensed Mine's feelings but pretended not to know. If he confessed his feelings now, there's an 80% chance of success. But they live in the same community, and it would be hard to keep it a secret.
He was aiming for bigger things, so for now, he had to play dumb.
Lin Yi trained with Mine for a whole week. Her physical fitness and technique had improved significantly.
Now she could even hold her ground against Leone, but only for a short time before she couldn't hold on anymore.
"A new mission has arrived. The target is a distant relative of Minister Honest, named Iokal."
"He's committed all kinds of crimes under the name of the Minister—kidnapping young women, bribing officials, running gambling houses and brothels, even land grabbing."
"But this guy is very afraid of dying. He's hired five mercenaries who are complicit in his crimes. The mission is to take them all down."
Najenda seriously briefed everyone, with profile pictures laid out in front of her.
Everyone quickly understood the difficulty of this mission.
Iokal was just an ordinary person, easy to deal with. The main problem lay in the five skilled mercenaries.
Roles were quickly assigned. Mine would be the assassin. Her "Pumpkin" had a maximum range of nearly a kilometer.
Iokal's whereabouts were easy to track since he often frequented his own brothels.
"Target confirmed."
On top of a high cliff, Mine lay with her "Pumpkin," which looked like an upgraded sniper rifle.
Lin Yi was her partner, naturally guarding her, although he seemed quite relaxed. Having read the original work, he knew these guys were small fry and not worth his attention.
"Permission to fire."
Najenda's voice came through the radio.
Mine shot decisively. A beam of light instantly flashed from the gun's muzzle, covering a distance of thousands of meters in a split second.
Iokal, who was still basking in the adoration of his bodyguards, was pierced through his forehead before he could react. He fell to the ground, bleeding profusely.
Lin Yi squinted his eyes. Say what you will, Mine's shooting skills were truly astonishing.
If it weren't for the limitations of the "Pumpkin," which only showed its true power when its host was in mortal danger, her marksmanship alone would make her unbeatable in this world.
"You know how awesome I am now?"
Mine proudly showed off to Lin Yi.
The two were getting along better and better.
Lin Yi patted her on the head.
"Stop showing off, let's go."
They packed up and prepared to head to the rendezvous point.
Just as they reached halfway up the hill, Lin Yi stopped.
"What's wrong?"
Mine asked curiously, not noticing anything amiss.
"It looks like this lokal, using the name of the Minister, has really made a lot of money and is willing to spend it on saving his own life. The person he hired is somewhat skilled."
Lin Yi explained with a smile, as the weapon Jörmungandr appeared in his hand.
Before Mine could react, Lin Yi pulled her into his arms, narrowly avoiding a hidden attack.
The attacker was a martial artist from Imperial Fist Temple.
Missing his target, the martial artist frowned. His stealth technique had never failed until now.
"In such a short time, you could find us and even set up an ambush on our path."
Lin Yi praised.
But to the attacker, it was no different from provocation.
"Seeking death."
The martial artist snorted coldly, assumed his stance, and sped up. His right fist swung out with great force, like a cannonball.
But in Lin Yi's eyes, the attack was child's play.
Lin Yi effortlessly caught his fist in mid-air, gripping his wrist tightly. Then, with a twist, he broke the martial artist's right arm, accompanied by a piercing scream.
"Ah!!"
"Hand over the secret martial arts of Imperial Fist Temple, and I might consider sparing your life," said Lin Yi coldly.
He didn't kill this passerby because he was interested in Imperial Fist Temple's martial arts.
In the original story, martial artists from Imperial Fist Temple could fight against the users of Imperial Arms just with their physical strength.
With Lin Yi's physique and strength, the benefits of practicing would be more than 1+1=2.
"Do you think I'm a fool? Even if I give it to you, you'll kill me."
The martial artist, though his arm was shattered, didn't beg for mercy.
"Believe it or not, it's up to you."
Lin Yi shook his head, moved Mine behind him, and pulled the martial artist closer. With a knee strike to the chest, he knocked him to the ground.
Another mouthful of dark blood spilled out, and the martial artist knelt down.
Before he could recover, Lin Yi choked him by the throat, tightening his grip, making it difficult to breathe.
"I'll talk...I'll talk!"
Feeling that Lin Yi was serious, he took out an ancient and tattered manual from his chest. The largest three characters on it read 'Imperial Fist Temple'.
"Thank you."
Lin Yi took the manual with a slight smile and stored it away. Then, he forcefully twisted the martial artist's neck, killing him instantly.
The man died with his eyes wide open, staring at Lin Yi as if puzzled even in death.