"Nothing today.”

  His email contents were always simple, and for several days in a row, it had been the same message.

  This was unprecedented in his past “work experience.” As the highest-paid bounty hunter, he had always been known for his speed, precision, and ruthlessness. Whether the yaokai was big or small, he never took more than seventy-two hours to take care of it. He was used to it—or perhaps numb to the efficiency of his “business.”

  But this time, there was a lingering sense of unease.

  After shutting down the computer, he didn’t, as usual, lie down to sleep.

  He left the room and, looking through the window in the hallway, saw a vast night sky with no stars or moon. It was now 3 a.m.

  This rundown two-story inn had no other tenants besides him. He quietly descended the stairs and found the innkeeper, the bald, chubby man, Pang Zi, who was always watching him warily, lying face down on the counter. A pile of scattered newspapers covered the surface, with a rge bag of unfinished chips tossed carelessly on top. The TV was still on, showing static with no signal.

  During the day, Pang Zi's snoring could shake the walls, but now, there wasn't even the slightest sound of breathing. His obese body y still, like a heap of lifeless mud.

  Ku Yue stepped forward and felt for his carotid artery. There was no pulse.

  He flipped the innkeeper over and saw a deathly pale face, with even his lips turning a dark purple. There were no signs of life in the fat man's body.

  Ku Yue lifted the innkeeper's T-shirt and saw a fist-sized hole in his chest. There was no blood, only a deep, bottomless bckness inside the wound, speckled with glowing, fluorescent-like dots. He quickly exited the inn.

  The entire Moon City seemed to be engulfed in an overwhelming silence. At this hour, in the streets and alleys, not a single soul could be seen. Even the stray cats and dogs were absent. Only scattered lights flickered intermittently, as if to remind Ku Yue that this was a city meant for people to live in.

  But in Ku Yue's eyes, this pce had already become a silent graveyard.

  He had already figured out the reason why Jin Feiyu had warned him not to go out at night.

  Taking a deep breath, he began walking towards Butterfly Kisses.

  "I knew it, one night you'd come to find me for a drink,” Jin Feiyu said comfortably, sitting in the furthest corner of the bar, raising his gss as Ku Yue approached.

  "You know everything?” Ku Yue sat down in front of him, unhurried. “Including… that I′m here to kill you?”

  "Include that you need this.” Jin Feiyu reached into the shadows beside him and pced a square object on the table. It was a dark brown peachwood carved box, exuding an ancient, profound air. The light from the ceiling slowly spun above it, casting vibrant patterns on its surface.

  Ku Yue's expression remained unchanged from beginning to end.

  "Serene as a chrysanthemum"—that's the best description for the true top-level assassins. I′m happy to py along with you until now, but I don′t want your identity to scare the people here.” Dark red alcohol dripped slowly from the bottle into another empty gss. Jin Feiyu pushed the gss toward Ku Yue, smiling.

  "Ku Yue, you're worth a drink from me.”

  "Thank you." Ku Yue downed the drink in one go, the same bitter taste lingering in his mouth.

  The soothing, melodic music drifted through the air, still the same song—Butterfly Kisses. -----

  There are two things I know for sureShe was sent here from heaven.And she's Daddy's little girlAs I drop to my knees by her bed at nightShe talks to Jessus, and I close my eyes.

  (T/N: This song is sung by Bob Carlisle with the title Butterfly Kisses.)

  The man's gentle voice is pying over and over again.

  Since Ku Yue first came to this bar, the music pyed here had always been this song, never changing.

  "You′re completely different from the others who′ve come here before,” Jin Feiyu said.

  Ku Yue didn't respond, swirling the empty wine gss in his hand. The gss reflected Jin Feiyu's smiling face. He appeared to be in his te thirties, but his hair was a rare silver-white. He wore a stylish pair of bck-rimmed gsses. When he smiled, fine lines appeared at the corners of his eyes, but despite that, his face remained handsome, with clear and sharp eyes. He was undoubtedly a very charming man. This charm was the result of years of accumution, the slow transition of experience and weariness through time. It was subtle, not fshy, quietly attaching itself to him.

  Such a person was undoubtedly someone who couldn't be dealt with by the "colleagues" who had come before him. His employer must have only turned to him after countless failed attempts. His fees were always a hundred times more than that of ordinary assassins. This price wasn't something everyone could afford or was willing to pay.

  "Do you want to know what's inside?" Jin Feiyu gently tapped the box.

  Ku Yue shook his head. "My job is just to deliver it to the employer. What's inside has nothing to do with me."

  "You really are different," Jin Feiyu said with a smile, shaking his head. "This time, she found the right person." He looked at Ku Yue. "When do you pn to make your move?"

  "Wait until you finish that drink,” Ku Yue answered honestly. There was still a little more than half a gss of red wine left in Jin Feiyu's cup.

  "If… I wanted you to carry out your duties on the st day of next month, would you refuse?” Jin Feiyu asked seriously.

  Ku Yue's brows furrowed slightly. The image of Luo Ye's happy face suddenly fshed before his eyes. Next month, on the 26th, it's KING's birthday. I′m preparing a gift for him…

  "Alright.” He didn't hesitate much. He had a three-month deadline with his employer, so waiting until next month to take action wouldn't break the agreement.

  "Thank you.” Jin Feiyu poured him another gss of wine. “How is she?”

  "She?” Ku Yue blinked in confusion.

  "Your employer."

  Ku Yue paused for a moment, then said, "A beautiful woman, probably from the group of people who live very well. Although I haven't seen her whole face."

  "Assassins' instincts are usually very accurate." Jin Feiyu let out a sigh of relief. "If she's really living well, I'll feel more at ease."

  Perhaps it was the alcohol starting to take effect, or perhaps it was because this man before him was too unusual, or maybe the environment was more suited for conversation than killing, but Ku Yue suddenly abandoned his usual principle of only asking the "three essentials" and surprisingly asked, "Was it a crime of passion?"

  He had seen too many women who loved deeply but hated fiercely. For a man like Jin Feiyu, having one or even several such women in his life wouldn't be surprising at all.

  "Heh." Jin Feiyu elegantly clinked his gss with Ku Yue's. "She's my biological daughter."

  The two gsses collided, making a clear *ding* sound that lingered for a long time.