496: Chapter 74 The Azure Dragon Association’s Killing Intent 496: Chapter 74 The Azure Dragon Association’s Killing Intent That evening, the two still went to Huifeng Building and had a big meal.

Perhaps to cover up each other’s awkwardness, the meal was eaten in silence.

Xiao Jie had resolved a matter weighing on his mind, and his appetite was great.

Even though he wasn’t hungry, he still ate with gusto.

It was just that when he looked at An Ran, his gaze grew a bit more complex.

He thought to himself that he was nearly reaching thirty, and it might be time to start a relationship.

Although he thought rationally about this, emotionally, he didn’t feel a strong impulse to search for love.

Just occasionally reminiscing about the ambiguous moments that had just transpired did stir some unusual feelings in him.

It had to be said, An Ran was indeed quite charming and a very loyal friend.

An Ran also ate her meal exceptionally quietly that day.

After having their fill, the two politely said goodbye to each other and shook hands when parting, much like colleagues who had just completed a grueling task.

On the way back, Xiao Jie’s mind occasionally drifted back to An Ran’s seductive figure.

However, when he returned home and saw the two computers in the living room, the palpitations in Xiao Jie’s heart suddenly vanished.

As he walked to the computer, his expression gradually became serious, “Let’s talk about love later, I still have games to play.”

——————————

The next day, Xiao Jie logged in early, at 8:00 sharp, and the others arrived on time at the inn to meet up.

Xiao Jie checked the Spiritual Energy Value in his gourd, 2476/3000.

That would last fourteen more days; having wasted a day yesterday, from today on, every second would count.

Yuan Bai, feeling reluctant to see him go, said, “Ah, to think that a brief gathering has to end so soon, I won’t follow you, brother.

I’m going to stay in Luoyang Town for a while.

If you need help dealing with your rivals in the future, just call me.”

“Certainly,” Xiao Jie replied, looking at the others.

“Alright, everyone, today we set off on a new journey.

It will surely be arduous, but I am confident we will accomplish our respective goals.

Let’s go, everyone, the destination—Ghost Mist Ridge!”

The group of four left the inn, summoned their mounts, and sped towards the city outskirts.

Meanwhile, up on the second floor of the inn by the window, a Level 26 assassin quietly diverted his gaze.

“Damn it, I thought the target was just a newbie’s alternate character.

Level 27…

and a special profession…

with quite a few teammates…

only 33 taels of silver reward for this bloody assassination mission?

Hell no, I am not doing this.”

The assassin decisively clicked on the mission and chose to abandon it.

————————

Meanwhile — Azure Dragon Society Headquarters:

“We at the Azure Dragon Society currently have nearly a hundred qualified combat members, among them 63 above Level 20, and 19 above Level 30.

It’s proven that we can greatly increase leveling speed without particularly caring about casualties; many players have leveled up this past month.

Also, during the leveling process, 9 died, and our field team has already recruited new people to start over.”

“Our logistical team has produced enough green sets; all combat members above Level 20 are now fully equipped, and elixir production has increased significantly.

We captured two new herb production points last month, doubling the output of top-grade elixirs.”

“Our intelligence team is actively collecting information related to dragons.

Lately, there have been rumors of a dragon downfall in the southern border villages of Beiming State, and we are intensifying our investigation…”

Sitting at the head, Zhao Qinglong nodded, “Hmm, our last intelligence was wrong, causing heavy losses for the guild.

Those responsible have been dealt with.

This time, we must ensure the reliability of the information.

Our Azure Dragon Society’s strength has almost fully recovered; it’s time to initiate a new Dragon Slayer operation.

Mr.

Liu, do you have any comments?”

“Ah, I have no objections, President Zhao can decide,” said Liu Qiang, still appearing exhausted, sitting on his right, playing with his phone while attending the meeting.

Zhao Qinglong huffed coldly but said no more.

He could never understand why the group would assign someone like that to be the liaison at the base, a clear sign of mistrust.

Previously, he had been pretentiously put in different departments for a while, and then suddenly been appointed as a high-level consultant with management authority.

Zhao Qinglong felt somewhat insecure about his position, especially after the failed Dragon Slayer operation, as the group tightened its control over the base.

Even his core members were called in for individual discussions, clearly trying to undermine his authority.

A trace of worry crept into Zhao Qinglong’s heart.

The group’s approach to managing personnel was never lenient.

The more sensitive the information top managers handled, the more difficult their ends tended to be.

If he were truly to be dismissed, his fate would likely not be pleasant.

Had it been in the past, he would have had to endure, but now—with the strength he possessed—he clenched his fist, thinking they wouldn’t so easily oust him.

He glanced at Liu Qiang again, only to see a retreating figure.

Liu Qiang returned to his office, and his originally carefree expression immediately darkened.

He picked up the phone and sent out a voice message.

“Wang Ziming, Li Xu, Liu Peng, Lin Hu, all of you come here.”

It didn’t take long for the four men to arrive; they were his confidants and subordinates he had brought from the headquarters.

Seeing Liu Qiang’s expression, the four immediately sensed that something was amiss.

“Brother Liu, did you need us for something?”

“What’s going on with that reward task I gave you?

Why have all the assassins who accepted the task given up?

It’s been three months, three months and not even a single newbie has been dealt with; who is responsible for this?”

Li Xu, Liu Peng, and Lin Hu immediately pointed towards a nervous-looking Wang Ziming.

Wang Ziming hurriedly explained, “Ah, Brother Liu, I did everything according to your orders—there was a reward of one hundred taels, after all.”

This was the task Liu Qiang had originally arranged: one hundred taels to kill a newbie, certainly many would be willing to take on such tasks.

Not to mention newbies, even players who were around level 10 to level 20, of average skill, could also be dealt with.

However—

“You call this one hundred taels!” Liu Qiang slammed the phone right onto Wang Ziming’s face.

On it was clearly a photo of the reward list from Mo Ying Hall.

Wu Jike: Reward money: 33.33 taels.

Heavenly Dao Fengliu: Reward money: 33.33 taels.

Hidden Moon Following Wind: Reward money: 33.33 taels.

Still clueless, Wang Ziming explained, “Ah… adding these three together makes one hundred taels, right?

There’s nothing wrong with this.”

Liu Qiang then felt a surge of unnamed rage well up within him.

He stared intensely at Wang Ziming, then suddenly burst into laughter—hahahahaha.

The other three looked at each other, revealing a schadenfreude expression; it wasn’t a big deal when Brother Liu scolded someone, but if he burst into laughter, it meant he was truly angry.

“Alright, it’s not your fault, it’s my fault.

My mistake was thinking that I could groom a piece of dog shit like you into a trusted aide, really believing that bringing you out from some godforsaken rural county, teaching you how to conduct yourself, would make you presentable.

Ah, Ziming, Ziming…”

He placed one hand on Wang Ziming’s shoulder, pulled him closer, and whispered in his ear with an increasingly ferocious tone, “Is this how you repay me?”

“Big brother, I really didn’t—”

Plunk!

Liu Qiang’s palm pierced straight through Li Xu’s chest, ending his pleading, the hand that emerged from the back glistening with blood that had a metallic sheen!

Wang Ziming’s eyes widened, his incredulous gaze gradually fading, and the dead body limply collapsed.

Liu Qiang withdrew his hand, which returned to flesh, and casually threw the body aside, as if discarding a piece of trash.

“Li Xu, dispose of the body, take it to the incinerator, and burn it with the other players who died recently.”

“Liu Peng, go put up another reward task, 300 taels—no, 500 taels, I want the head of Hidden Moon Following Wind.”

“Right, boss, I’ll get on it.

What about the other two?”

“Don’t worry about them.

According to the intelligence sent back by the assassins from Mo Ying Hall, Hidden Moon Following Wind is the real target.”

As Liu Qiang spoke, he glanced again at the photos on the phone.

The first photo was of the reward list from Mo Ying Hall, and the second was strikingly of Xiao Jie riding out of the city.

Although the assassins hadn’t managed to eliminate him in three months, they had at least sent back a photo confirming which alias Xiao Jie was using.

Game characters’ appearances are linked to the players’ real-life appearances, and he was all too familiar with that silhouette.

Liu Qiang felt a wave of unease.

It had only been over two months, yet Xiao Jie had already reached level 27.

The President indeed lived up to his title, his growth rate was somewhat terrifying.

He now slightly regretted giving away two activation codes in a fit of anger.

Not only had he failed to settle past grievances, he had invited a formidable enemy upon himself.

He also regretted hastily becoming identified by the Game Administration Bureau back then; he should have acted directly.

It wouldn’t matter if he never returned to his home country, but in a moment of hesitation, he allowed his opponent to grow stronger.

Regrettably, with the tasks at hand being urgent and needing to personally ensure control over the base, he could have gone himself; regardless of Xiao Jie being level 27, he, a level 37 Five Elements Escape Master, could kill him effortlessly.

“Hmph, enjoy a few more days of life, then.

Once I secure the base, I, along with the entire Azure Dragon Association, will come to end you—if you survive that long.”