Xiao Feng reached out and yanked off the white mask from one of the black-robed men.
At that moment, everyone recoiled in shock. The man's face was covered in grotesque, arcane tattoos—twisted patterns so sinister they seemed to seethe with malevolence.
The captive glared venomously at Xiao Feng. "You'll regret this. This is only the beginning."
With a sneer, Xiao Feng delivered a swift kick to the man's repulsive face. "Regret, my ass. Who do you think you're scaring?" He turned to Rice. "Take him back. Interrogate him thoroughly."
Blood streamed from the captive's nostrils and lips. He glowered at Xiao Feng, but dared not utter another word.
Rice chuckled darkly. "Leave this to me. I'll make sure they regret ever being born into this world."
Xiao Feng gave a cold laugh. "Damn right. They trashed my SUV... they'll pay for it." With that, he jumped into a jeep and drove off to find Lin.
The mercenaries of X Company loaded the unconscious cultists onto the trucks and headed back toward their base, a storm of retribution in their wake. Rice drove Xiao Feng's battered SUV, his heart aching with every turn of the wheel.
Arriving at Lin's rundown warehouse, Xiao Feng stepped out of the jeep and strode directly to their hidden quarters. With a heavy kick, he burst open the door. "Lin!" he bellowed, storming inside with the white mask still clutched in his hand.
In the corner, Storm was lifting a heavy dumbbell, his bare skin glistening with sweat. He glanced over and grinned. "Lin's in his room."
Tears-Eye sat at a nearby desk, eyes fixed on the computer screen, nodding absently in acknowledgment.
Xiao Feng marched toward Lin's bedroom. He knew well enough what Lin was likely doing at this hour, and a flicker of curiosity made him wonder who the woman was this time.
Without hesitation, he kicked open the door.
It was locked. His boot shattered the lock with a loud crack, splinters flying as the wooden door slammed inward.
What he saw inside made him furrow his brow. A woman with waist-length golden hair was straddling Lin, her lithe body moving rhythmically, her voice unabashedly unrestrained.
Neither Lin nor the woman paused, even as Xiao Feng entered. The European beauty continued her fervent movements, her skin beaded with sweat, hair dancing wildly with each motion.
Lin, eyes closed in bliss, gripped the woman's full breasts, kneading them with fervent aggression.
It was the second time Xiao Feng had witnessed Lin indulging so intensely, even with a touch of sadistic passion. There was something disturbingly savage about it.
He cleared his throat. No response.
Muttering a curse, Xiao Feng gave up and sat on the couch, waiting for them to finish.
Two minutes later, after a final, frenzied cry, the woman collapsed atop Lin, panting violently.
Xiao Feng eyed her with vague concern. That level of exertion might just kill someone.
Lin shoved her aside and sat up, his breathing heavy. "Do you have to ruin every damn mood I'm in? How many times is this now?"
The woman turned her head toward Xiao Feng. Seeing his sharp suit and striking features—handsome even more so than Lin—she paused, visibly intrigued. A man like this... someone like her might very well throw herself at him next.
But Xiao Feng had no interest in such easy company. "Get dressed," he said to Lin. "I need to talk."
Wrapping a blanket around himself, Lin followed him out. They returned to the central room, where Tears-Eye sat. Xiao Feng held up the mask. "Rice and I were ambushed by a group of these bastards today. Nearly got Rice killed. I want to know who they are."
Lin took the mask and examined it closely. His brows knitted. "How the hell did you manage to provoke them?"
"You know who they are?" Xiao Feng asked, surprised.
Lin nodded. "In a sense, they're our... counterparts."
"Counterparts?"
"Yes. Rain, pull up the file on the Black Dragon Cult."
Without a word, Tears-Eye tapped at the keyboard. Within seconds, dozens of monitors lit up, each displaying files on the Black Dragon.
Xiao Feng read through them. The more he read, the more furious he became. The cult's crimes were monstrous—heinous acts beyond comprehension. One file described a massacre within a wildlife sanctuary.
"Son of a bitch… are these even humans? Do they have no shred of humanity?"
Lin lit a cigarette, exhaling slowly. "You're not wrong. They're worse than monsters. We, in KILL, only take contracts on those who deserve death. We don't serve evil. But them? As long as the money's good, they'll do anything. Call them assassins if you want, but they're worse than demons."
Xiao Feng's voice turned icy. "We never crossed them. Someone must have hired them to kill us. I'll find out who. I swear it."
Lin nodded solemnly. "I'll report this to command. If the Black Dragon Cult has resurfaced, we need to exterminate every last one."
"Good. I'll regroup with Rice and the others. We've captured more than a dozen of their members. If we interrogate them hard enough, we might learn something valuable."
"I'll come to you once I finish reporting. This time, they won't get away."
Xiao Feng copied the cult's data into a small crystal chip and headed back to the X Company base.
Lin stared at the white mask bearing the black dragon insignia and said grimly to Tears-Eye, "Contact HQ."
Tears-Eye rubbed his hands with a grin. "Looks like it's finally time to wage war."
Back at the base, Xiao Feng gathered Rice, White, and the others. Plugging the chip into a projector, he displayed the data for all to see. Fury swept through the room.
Xiao Feng turned to Rice. "Old man, what's your take on this?"