```
In a narrow room where a fight could break out at any moment, a man suddenly tore his shirt to shreds.
The action of Ying Jian was undoubtedly horrifying, causing Fu Qian to frown.
Even more horrifying was the body revealed underneath the torn clothes.
A web of dark red blood lines covered his entire upper body, deeply etched into each piece of flesh.
With every breath he took, the blood lines seemed to wriggle slightly, as if they could come to life and take flight at any moment.
"Scarlet Fever!"
At this moment, Tan Mingxue behind him started shouting.
"As expected of Group Leader Tan, you recognized it at a glance."
Ying Jian wore a look of pride, flashing a provocative smile at Fu Qian.
"This should help cool you down, right? Mysterious master from parts unknown."
"It won't."
Fu Qian coldly flexed his wrists.
"If you have nothing else to say, consider this your last words."
"Wait a minute!"
This time it was Ying Jian and Tan Mingxue both shouting together.
Seeing that Fu Qian was really preparing to kill, their reactions were remarkably in sync.
The smile on Ying Jian's face had frozen.
"Are you crazy? You'd rather die with me than let me go?"
"Are you trying to get us all killed?"
Tan Mingxue was also a mix of shock and anger.
"If you kill him, once the Scarlet Fever spreads, we'll all be dead!"
"Is this thing that powerful?"
Fu Qian frowned.
"You don't recognize Scarlet Fever?"
Tan Mingxue's mouth hung open, incredulously staring at Fu Qian.
"I don't. I thought he was undressing to show me his scars, to tell me he's a wounded soldier fighting on, determined in spite of disabilities."
Determined in spite of disabilities my ass!
Tan Mingxue and Ying Jian both felt like spitting blood.
"Scarlet Fever, you can think of it as a type of poison, as well as a curse."
Finally calming down, Tan Mingxue quickly explained.
"Once infected, the blood in the body gradually heats up until it boils.
As the flesh throughout the body decays, blood vessels will gradually move to the surface, forming these blood-red webs. It's said that if the host is strong enough, these vessels can completely separate from the body after death, becoming independent entities, even possessing the characteristics of truly being alive."
"This thing is extremely infectious. If you kill him here, it will fill the space instantly, and none of us will be able to escape."
"However, it's not without its benefits. After being infected, it significantly enhances speed, strength, and overall combat ability, to some extent acting like a stimulant."
Taking a deep breath, Tan Mingxue looked at Ying Jian.
"Worthy of being the renowned Shadow of Obliteration, able to obtain such a thing!"
"This thing is very expensive; it took a lot of effort to get, and I never planned to use it here."
Finding a sympathetic ear in Tan Mingxue's words, Ying Jian regained some confidence and snorted.
"Unfortunately, an unexpected variable has arisen, and I've had to use it as insurance."
"Have you not considered the consequences of what you're doing?"
Tan Mingxue gritted his teeth.
"Don't worry, if I dared to use it, I'd have made sure to take full measures. After I send her off, there will be plenty of time to deal with this trouble."
Ying Jian gestured towards Wen Li, but his gaze was fixed on Fu Qian.
"Shadow of Obliteration, sounds like a group?"
Fu Qian ignored him, looking instead at Tan Mingxue.
"That's right, a notorious group of assassins, three Transcendents in total. They're responsible for many bloodbaths and have always been on the Night Watchman's wanted list."
"Let me think, there is also a Stone Man who can enlarge his body, and a professional who is good at hypnosis and poisoning?"
"That's right, those three always act together, with Ying Jian being the absolute core."
"I see, that all lines up then."
Fu Qian nodded, satisfied.
You three brothers owe me too many SAN Points.
"Though I don't know where you came from... you are undoubtedly very strong, and I admit I'm no match for you, even with the addition of Scarlet Fever."
```
Ying Jian looked at Fu Qian.
"But now, the power has returned to my hands."
"And I have to thank you for bringing people here, allowing the Scarlet Fever to maximize its effect."
"Now you only have two options, step aside and let me kill Wen Li, or kill me and we'll all die together, and Wen Li will still die."
"I think even a child would make this choice."
"Of course, we can also keep this standoff going, but in no more than an hour, the Scarlet Fever in my body will erupt, and the outcome will still be the same."
"Do you hear me?"
After Ying Jian finished speaking at length, Fu Qian instead turned to Wen Li and shouted.
"You're going to die, how does it feel?"
...
Wen Li's body shuddered again, barely managing to stand by leaning on the wall.
Of course, her feelings were terrible.
Today, far too much had happened.
Since a while ago, a series of changes had occurred in the blink of an eye, and her emotions were like a roller coaster.
First, she was poisoned, then she was rescued, followed by being held hostage by her rescuer, and then informed she only had one day to live.
Fortunately, the Night Watchman arrived in time to rescue her, but the person holding her hostage was too strong. Just as reinforcements arrived and hope appeared, another Night Watchman turned out to be an assassin in disguise.
Now she was fully caught in a no-win situation, and for a moment she felt utterly hopeless and exhausted.
"What does waiting for death feel like? Tell me."
"Fear, and perhaps a hint of relief," Wen Li inhaled, her voice trembling.
"You can mock this weakness, but I am not one of you, accustomed to life and death, please forgive me for not being able to face it calmly."
"Very good, you are honest enough."
Fu Qian didn't ridicule her as expected, instead, he praised her.
"Now, watch closely."
The next moment, Fu Qian's figure disappeared from where he was.
You...
A strong sense of crisis hit Ying Jian, and even before he could dodge, his neck was grabbed by an iron pincer-like hand, and he was slammed against the wall behind him with a clang.
"Fu Qian, don't be rash."
This scene made Tan Mingxue turn pale instantly, unconsciously stepping back several paces.
"Qi Xue will bring people over soon."
"Don't fool yourself."
"You cannot hear what is said inside from the outside; are you sure that after this 'Qi Xue' arrives, they will still look for the Night Watchman?"
...
"Now, would you like to hear my opinion?"
Fu Qian, holding Ying Jian by the neck, slowly lifted him into mid-air with a smile on his face.
"Using mutual destruction as a bargaining chip to complete your mission, it looks courageous. Unfortunately, your fearlessness is based on the belief that you will absolutely not die."
"That is completely different from true bravery."
"Look at you now, even when you have fallen into my hands, you subconsciously dare not fight back, afraid that the thing on your body will explode. Hasn't this helped you recognize your true nature?"
Fu Qian's grip tightened, and Ying Jian's blood vessels visibly twitched as if they might burst open at any moment.
"We... can talk... talk..."
With his last ounce of strength, Ying Jian barely spat out a few words.
"...Mutual destruction... is unnecessary..."
"You still don't understand."
"It's very necessary, extremely necessary."
Fu Qian shook his head as he looked at Wen Li.
"Do you understand now?"
"I..."
The fear of dying every second surged in Wen Li's heart.
Yet seeing Ying Jian, who had been so arrogant just moments before, being held like a dog in someone's hand, gave her an odd sense of relief.
Feeling the violent shift in her emotions.
The next moment, Wen Li fell into a strange peace.
"I... seem to understand."