Yang Zihua pondered for a moment, flicked his cigarette to the ground, and said quickly, "Let's go, we'll check in on Old Deng."
Deng Li was a strange man. He had dealt with corpses for thirty years, so people who didn't know him well tended to fear him. They always felt there was something odd about him, and sometimes no one could figure out what strange things he was muttering under his breath.
As soon as Yang Zihua and Xiao Wang stepped into the autopsy room, they saw Deng Li drinking while talking to a corpse that was already badly disfigured and missing limbs.
"Old Deng, any new discoveries?" Yang Zihua asked bluntly.
Deng Li glanced at him, then lowered his head to look at the corpse. "There's something new, yes, but I still can't be certain. I checked the victim's wounds over and over again. Come here, take a look." He waved them over as he spoke.
Once Yang Zihua and Xiao Wang came closer, Deng Li continued, "Look here—although the wound has been charred, I can say for certain it was absolutely not made by a knife."
The two of them, peering at the corpse, were startled. "Not by a knife? Then what was it made with?" they asked in surprise.
"I don't know. Have you ever seen a wound so fine it's thinner than a needle tip? I believe that when their throats were slit, there wasn't even time for blood to flow out, because the cut was so narrow and smooth. The attacker's movements must have been extremely fast, so fast the blood had no chance to spill," Deng Li said, taking another swig of alcohol.
Yang and Wang exchanged glances, then looked back at Deng Li.
Deng Li sighed. "And not just that—when their throats were cut, they must have still been able to move, so they touched their wounds. That caused the cut to tear open, and the blood sprayed out like a mist." As he spoke, Deng Li gestured with his hands to illustrate the spray of blood.
"No way… that's terrifying. Who kills like that? And is there even such a fine blade in existence?" Xiao Wang asked skeptically.
"I'm only making an educated guess based on my thirty years of experience. The exact details, I can't be sure of," Deng Li replied with another sigh.
Yang Zihua fell back into deep thought. He trusted what Old Deng said, because in this field, Deng had never once made a wrong judgment in thirty years.
And in fact, Deng Li's assessment was correct. When Shi Aotian had killed those three bandits, the scene had played out exactly as he described.
"Captain Yang, there you are—I've been looking all over for you." A young policewoman hurried in through the doorway, speaking to Yang Zihua with urgency.
His train of thought interrupted, he turned and asked, "What is it?"
The policewoman handed over a report. "Captain Yang, look. After DNA testing and checking against the original records, we've confirmed their identities. All three victims were released from prison last year—Jia, Yi, and Bing. Five years ago, they were sentenced for armed robbery. Because of good behavior in prison, they were released early. After release, they returned to their old ways, committing crimes in sparsely populated areas on the outskirts of the city."
Yang Zihua took the file and began reading it carefully.
Xiao Wang cut in, "Oh, so it's these three? Incorrigible scum. They deserved to die."
Yang Zihua shot him a glare, making Xiao Wang shrink his neck back.
"Old Deng, what do you think the murder weapon was? Just give me your best estimate," Yang Zihua said as he closed the file.
Deng Li, arms crossed in front of him, studied the wounds on the corpse and said in a low voice, "It definitely wasn't a razor blade, because the weapon had to be even thinner and sharper than that. And it wasn't a scalpel either—sharp enough, sure, but not thin enough. For now, I can't quite guess what it was."
After thanking Deng Li, Yang Zihua left the room with the others.
Xiao Wang chattered on, "Captain Yang, you don't actually believe him, do you? There's no such tiny murder weapon. Even if there was, how would the killer use it? Wouldn't they risk hurting themselves?"
Yang Zihua stopped and fixed him with a cold stare. "When Old Deng was working as a forensic expert, you were still running around in open-crotch pants at home. He's solved more cases than you've had meals."
Xiao Wang muttered under his breath, "Is that even possible?"
Yang Zihua ignored him and walked away.
By then, Bai Xue had already showered and come out. Seeing Shi Aotian sleeping on the floor, she said, "Hey, is eating and sleeping all you can do? Don't you know how to do anything else?"
Shi Aotian lazily replied, "First of all, my name isn't 'Hey.' It's Shi Aotian. Secondly, I'll be honest—I really can't do anything else. As you've seen, the only thing I can do is kill people." He made a slicing gesture across his neck.
Bai Xue shivered at once, thinking, I don't know if keeping him here will be a blessing or a curse.
"Things have been tense lately. I'm just looking out for you," Bai Xue said, changing the subject.
Shi Aotian sat up and gave her a cold, piercing look, making her feel uneasy.
Quickly, Bai Xue retreated to her room, her heart still pounding. The night passed without incident.
Several days went by like this. The police station still had no leads, and everyone was busy investigating. Yang Zihua was the busiest of all, assigning officers to canvass the area around the crime scene.
Bai Xue's shift had also changed—she now worked from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. In those days, Shi Aotian didn't step foot outside, growing restless. One afternoon, seeing that Bai Xue had returned from work, he dragged her out for a walk.
After dinner, Bai Xue took him to the pedestrian street. Shi Aotian's tall, striking figure immediately drew attention—too handsome, too cool, too stylish. There was no avoiding it. Some provocatively dressed women even threw him flirtatious glances. Seeing this greatly satisfied Bai Xue's vanity. She thought, Bringing him out was the right choice. If only my boyfriend were half as attractive as he is.
Shi Aotian glanced curiously at the passersby and tugged at Bai Xue's sleeve. In a low voice, he asked, "Why do they keep looking at me? Am I scary or something?"
Bai Xue looked at him, wondering if he was genuinely clueless or just pretending. Then she laughed playfully, "Yeah, they're looking at a monster." With that, she skipped away.
Shi Aotian didn't think much of it and chased after her. Bai Xue was genuinely happy—it had been a long time since she felt this way, at least not since her boyfriend left. Over time, their relationship had grown distant. People really are strange creatures.
After walking around for a while, they returned home. After all, the police hadn't given up their investigation, so it was best to stay cautious.
As soon as they got back, Bai Xue's phone began vibrating in her pocket. Seeing the caller ID, she hastily made a shushing gesture to Shi Aotian before answering, "Hello?"
A familiar voice came through the line: "Hey, darling, did you miss me?"
Bai Xue forced a smile and said, "Yes, I think about you every day. Long-distance calls are expensive, you shouldn't keep calling like this."
The voice on the other end replied, "Alright then, I won't call. I just wanted to give you a surprise." With that, the call ended.
Finally letting out a sigh of relief, Bai Xue stared blankly at Shi Aotian.
"Your boyfriend?" Shi Aotian asked flatly. Even he didn't know why he had bothered to ask.
Bai Xue nodded and said, "It's nothing. He's often like this." She spoke out of habit.
Suddenly, the sound of a key turning in the lock—click—made Bai Xue's heart leap into her throat. A tall man, at least 1.8 meters and wearing glasses, opened the door. He was about to smile and greet her, but when his eyes fell on Shi Aotian, his face darkened instantly. Pointing at Shi Aotian, he asked coldly, "Who is he, and why is he here?"
At that moment, Bai Xue's mind was in chaos. She thought bitterly, This time, even if I jumped into the Yellow River, I couldn't wash myself clean.
Shi Aotian also looked coldly at the man who had just entered, saying nothing.
"So this is how you treat me? I came all the way back from Canada just to surprise you, and this is what I find—you fooling around with another man!" the man roared in fury at Bai Xue.
"It's not like that! It really isn't!" Bai Xue cried, desperate to explain, but she didn't know how.
"Not like that? Then what is it? Are you saying what I saw is fake? If I hadn't come back suddenly, I'd never have known you were putting a green hat on me!" The man grew more agitated as he spoke, then raised his hand to slap Bai Xue.
Shi Aotian understood immediately that this was the so-called boyfriend Bai Xue had mentioned. Seeing him about to hit her, Shi Aotian stepped forward and grabbed the man's wrist.
The man felt his hand freeze in midair as if pinned in place. Looking down, he realized it was Bai Xue's "lover" holding him, and his rage burned hotter. "I'll deal with you after I've taught her a lesson!" he barked, trying to yank his arm free—only to find it held fast in Shi Aotian's iron grip.
"You seduced my girlfriend and you still have the nerve to act tough? I'll deal with you first!" the man shouted. Despite being an educated person, the fury boiling in his chest drove him to such crude words.
"Don't!" Bai Xue cried, rushing over and grabbing both of their hands. She kept repeating the word, "Don't."
That single word carried two meanings. In her boyfriend's mind, it meant she didn't want him to fight. But in Bai Xue's heart, it was meant for Shi Aotian—begging him not to kill the man.
That subtle double meaning only fueled the boyfriend's anger further. He thought she was protecting the other man, and his fury became indescribable. He swung his fist hard at Shi Aotian's face.
Looking into Bai Xue's tear-filled, pleading eyes, Shi Aotian abandoned his killing intent. The punch landed squarely on his face, and Shi Aotian let himself fall to the ground in a show of weakness.
Seeing Shi Aotian drop so easily, the boyfriend sneered and cursed, "Shameless pair!" He moved to hit him again, but Bai Xue rushed forward, shaking her head and blocking his path.
She wanted to explain, but didn't know how.
"It's not like that."
"Oh? Then what is it? Are you telling me what I saw was fake? If I hadn't come back suddenly, then it would've been truly fake, and you would've put a green hat on me without me even knowing!" The man grew more and more agitated as he spoke, and then reached out to slap Bai Xue.
Shi Aotian understood immediately — this was the so-called boyfriend Bai Xue had mentioned before. Seeing him about to hit her, Shi Aotian instantly reached out and caught the man's hand.
---
Her boyfriend was even more furious now — his own girlfriend was pleading with someone else. He never imagined that Bai Xue was actually pleading for him; because if Shi Aotian really fought back, even ten lives wouldn't be enough to save him.
With Bai Xue physically blocking him, her boyfriend couldn't make a move for the moment. He stepped back, then slammed the door and left. Bai Xue glanced once at Shi Aotian, who was sitting silently on the floor, then quickly opened the door and chased after her boyfriend.
The truth was, Bai Xue still loved him, and everything she had done was to keep him from getting hurt — because she knew very well what Shi Aotian was capable of.
Shi Aotian stood up slowly, touched the spot where he had been struck, and let out a cold laugh. Knowing he could no longer stay here, he walked out without saying goodbye, resuming his wandering life.
The next time he met Bai Xue would be half a year later.
---
A certain city, inside a luxurious office.
"Assistant Zhou, any new developments with the Blacklist lately?" A young man lounged on a large sofa, asking casually.
"Young Master, over the past two years, two new faces have emerged in the Blacklist. Recently, they've been taking on highly dangerous assignments and have a 100% completion rate. Their rankings have already risen to 29th and 30th." Assistant Zhou, wearing glasses, a suit, and a tie, spoke respectfully.
"Oh? That impressive?" A faint smile curved the young man's lips.
"Yes. Word about them is spreading fast in the Blacklist. They've even been nicknamed a duo — 'Midnight' and 'Rampage'." Zhou observed the young master's expression as he spoke.
"Go on," the young man said coldly.
"Yes. Their names are 'Midnight' and 'Rampage,' but for now, we have no detailed information on them," Zhou continued.
"That's normal. If they were that easy to investigate, the Blacklist my father founded would've collapsed long ago. Tell the intelligence team to dig deeper. Go directly to their agents — you'll learn much more that way," the young man ordered.
"Yes, I'll take care of it right away," Zhou replied, then left.
---
The Blacklist was a massive assassin organization, founded twenty years ago by a mysterious figure. Nearly every killer in the world worked under its banner. With over ten thousand members, it was divided into more than twenty sub-organizations — assassins, agents, intelligence teams, and more.
The top ten assassins on the Blacklist were the most elite in the world. No one knew what they looked like — those who did were no longer alive. Their missions had never failed, and their fees were extraordinarily high. Very few could afford them, and they didn't accept just any job.
Blacklist rankings were determined by the mission's danger level, completion rate, and payment, calculated through the organization's central system. Taking on more jobs didn't necessarily raise your rank — each assignment had to be completed within the buyer's deadline. Failure meant not only a drop in rank and paying a penalty fee, but for major blunders, the assassin would simply vanish from the world.
Because of this, many assignments went unclaimed — they were too dangerous, nearly impossible to complete. And assassins often chose jobs based on mood and target, not just money.
The strength of the killers on the Blacklist varied greatly.
Those ranked in the top ten were considered elite, but that didn't necessarily mean they were the most formidable.
Many hidden assassins rarely accepted contracts, yet their killing skills were unmatched and unknown to the public.
It could be said that every assassin in the top 100 of the Blacklist was a master, and breaking into that top 100 was extraordinarily difficult.
All assassin agents served the Blacklist directly.
They recruited assassins as partners and used the Blacklist's online system to view available contracts and choose which to take.
This website was not accessible to just anyone — they had their own technicians and anti-hacking teams to prevent Interpol or local law enforcement from creating backdoor access.
It was highly covert, and only agents registered in the Blacklist system could log in to take jobs.
Every agent had to go through strict investigation and evaluation by the organization before being hired.
If the Blacklist discovered a spy, the punishment was death without mercy.
The rewards on the Blacklist were high: the organization took 40% of the employer's payment, the agent took 20%, and the remaining 40% went to the assassin.
In addition, the Blacklist provided assassins and their agents with various forged documents, identities, intelligence, and assistance in eliminating any trouble arising after a mission's completion — all free of charge.
Every year, large bonuses were awarded to assassins who had rendered outstanding service to the organization.
All of this gave killers a powerful platform to operate, but the most crucial advantage was the organization's extremely high level of information security, allowing everyone to complete their tasks with peace of mind.
Assassins from around the world longed to join the Blacklist — some for fame, some for money, some for convenience, some for safety.
This led to many top-tier killers hiding their true capabilities.
In fact, some of these hidden assassins might have been even deadlier than those ranked in the top ten.
---
In City C, inside a nightclub, a plump middle-aged man sat with women on each side, drinking and laughing with the hostesses.
After midnight, drunk and flushed, he left with two heavily made-up women clinging to his arms, getting into his car.
With liquor-heavy breath, he told his private driver, "Go to a hotel. I'm going to have a good time tonight."
"Yes, boss," the driver replied obediently as the car sped away.
The middle-aged man continued to flirt with the women in the back seat.
Suddenly, the car screeched to a stop, nearly throwing him off balance.
He steadied himself and snapped angrily, his thick lips curling, "What kind of driving is that? Trying to kill me? You're fired!"
"Boss, we're here," the driver said coldly.
The man looked out the window, saw an abandoned factory, and sobered up slightly.
"I told you to go to a hotel. Where the hell is this? Do you have a death wish?" he barked, then turned back to continue joking with the women.
"Hmph… it's you who won't be living much longer," the driver said, removing his cap and turning to reveal a cold, twisted smile.
"Who the hell are you?" the middle-aged man shouted.
"You're not my driver — who are you?"
"First of all, my name is Midnight," the man replied with a grin.
"I like killing at midnight. Now… get out of the car."
The two women beside him screamed, "It's nothing to do with us!"
The middle-aged man trembled, pleading, "Please, don't kill me. I have money — I can give you a lot of money."
"I have principles," Midnight said cheerfully. "And tonight… you must die."
He had already stepped out of the car.
The two hostesses panicked and bolted, but before they had run more than two meters, each was struck in the back with a dagger, collapsing to the ground dead.