Chapter Seventy-Four: Without a Face

The first blush of red in the east pierced through the gray-blue sky, and the light of dawn began to awaken one slumbering creature after another. The willows beside the road, weighed down by morning dew, bowed their heads meekly, accepting the gentle warmth of the first sunlight. The air still carried a hint of the night’s coolness, singing praises of the peace and beauty that had filled the darkness before.

As usual, Xue Tian'ai had risen early to exercise, his breaths coming in rough, steady bursts. Beads of crystalline sweat traced the lines between his muscles, glimmering faintly in the soft sunlight and radiating a magnetic masculine charm. He had slept remarkably well the night before.

Meanwhile, Qin Mengxue lay sprawled on her bed, her long hair cascading over the pillow, clutching her quilt tightly, a smile of happiness lingering at the corner of her lips. The clock by her bedside ticked on, playing its subtle melody of time; there was still half an hour before her alarm would sound. She, too, slept peacefully.

Birds chirped their gentle morning songs, the damp breeze playfully slipping into house after house through open windows. Dawn’s curtain had risen, bringing freshness to the world below.

Yet, in another corner of the world, inside a dimly lit room, five individuals sat around a round table, each wearing a mask marked with the letter Y. Their mood was anything but refreshed; in fact, they had not slept the entire night. They remained seated by the large conference table, weighed down by anxiety.

“Boss, is the Chain’s phone still unreachable? It's been an entire night!” The one called Second, his impatience barely concealed behind his Y-mask, spoke up.

“No, still no answer. According to Chain’s plan, the assassination of Qin Mengxue was supposed to be carried out last night, but there hasn’t been a single sign, not the slightest movement.” The leader set down his phone, which still displayed the same failed connection, and shook his head.

“Could it be Xue Tian'ai’s doing?” Third asked, his tone calm and unruffled, as though the long vigil had not affected him in the least.

“Third, you must be joking. That Xue Tian'ai is nothing but a pretty boy, a mere bartender. What could such a lowly ant possibly do?” Second scoffed, his words dripping with ridicule.

“Then how do you explain this? One of the top ten killers on the Huaxia Hit List, gone silent for an entire night, unreachable, his phone switched off. To put it bluntly, could it be that the assassin we paid thirteen million for is already dead?” Third’s voice remained tranquil, but there was now an unmistakable pressure in his words.

“Uh…” Second was momentarily at a loss, unable to respond. The issue Third raised was both realistic and brutal. A killer of such high rank would not simply vanish without reason. If all contact was suddenly lost, there was really only one possibility: something had gone disastrously wrong.

“I think Third’s concerns are valid. This young man, Xue Tian'ai, certainly appears suspicious,” Fifth murmured, scrolling through a tablet, his tone grave.

“For starters, there are inconsistencies in his records.”

“What inconsistencies?” The leader turned to Fifth.

“Firstly, the owner of the bar where Xue Tian'ai once worked is shrouded in mystery. It’s said he’s the head of the Rat Hall, one of the twelve halls of the Zhou family.”

“The twelve halls of the Zhou family? That faction that’s neither black nor white?” Fourth interjected, the light glinting bleakly off his Y-mask.

“Fourth, don’t interrupt,” the leader chastened, tapping the table. “Fifth, go on.”

“Alright.” Fifth nodded, his eyes never leaving the tablet. “Next, Xue Tian'ai’s father, Xue Youyi, is listed as a construction worker. But when I looked into the construction sites he supposedly worked at, they turned out to be mere shell companies—bankrupt with no traceable activity. No records exist. As for his mother, Dan Wanshu, she’s listed as a high school English teacher, but there’s no record of such a school anywhere in Huaxia.”

“Moreover, Xue Tian'ai himself appeared abruptly at Qin Mengxue’s side. Doesn’t that strike you as odd? The bar where he worked was in Red Harbor, which is in the south, while Qin Mengxue has been in the northeast. The geographical leap is enormous, and Qin Mengxue hasn’t been to Red Harbor recently. How did the two even meet?”

“These are the main points I’ve found. Personally, I believe Third’s concerns are justified; this young man, Xue Tian'ai, is definitely not as simple as he seems.” Fifth set down the tablet and rubbed his hands together, visibly worried.

“Hmm…” The leader’s expression changed beneath his mask, a look of troubled contemplation settling on his face as he listened to Fifth’s analysis.

“So, Boss, what should we do? If necessary, I’ll handle it myself! I refuse to believe a mere upstart could make any waves,” Second burst out, his fiery temper flaring.

“No! Absolutely not! The time isn’t right. We haven’t gathered all the Ancient Xia cards yet. This is not the moment for our clan to act!” The leader replied urgently.

“That’s right, Big Brother is correct. Second, we can’t afford to be rash. If we make a single wrong move, decades of effort will be for nothing,” Fourth agreed.

“So we can do nothing? After all these years in the shadows, must we continue to eke out a miserable existence?” Second slammed the table, his voice filled with anguish, hands trembling in anger.

The others fell silent in the wake of his outburst. The already cold, gloomy room grew even more somber.

After a long silence, a young voice sounded from the southeast corner of the room, shrouded in darkness: “So, Father, and uncles, are you troubled by this Xue Tian'ai?”

Startled, the five at the table turned to the corner. From the shadows emerged a tall, handsome young man. Even in the dim light, his striking features stood out: chiseled, sculpted lines, an almost unruly air about him, and yet a piercing gleam in his eyes that demanded respect. His thick, black hair framed a pair of sharp brows above long, seductive eyes, accentuated by a single black mole beneath one, adding a mysterious allure. Below a high-bridged nose, his lips curved in a roguishly captivating smile.

“Young Master Wuyan? When did you arrive?” Second exclaimed, surprise visible even beneath his mask.

“Second Uncle, I’ve been here since last night. Did you not notice me?” Wuyan smiled, bowing slightly in greeting.

“Last night? Nephew, you must be joking!” Second said incredulously. With his own abilities, he hadn’t sensed his nephew’s presence at all. Just how strong had this young man become?

“Yes, I arrived last night. Seeing you all in such distress, I chose not to disturb you and stayed quietly in the corner. But I see now that you and Father are troubled.”

Wuyan’s smile remained faint as he turned to the leader. “Father, I have a suggestion. Would you care to hear it?”

“Speak, Yan’er,” the leader replied, nodding slightly.

“First, I agree that this is not the time for our clan to act openly. Nor is there need for any of you to step in. Remember, we still have plenty of ‘pieces’ on the board. Why not put them to use?”

“As for this Xue Tian'ai, leave him to me. Whether he is a dragon or a worm, I’ll know once I’ve gone to Beiyang City and made contact. There’s no need for haste. We’ve waited this long—what’s a while longer?”

“You want to approach Xue Tian'ai? Do you suspect him as well?” the leader asked, his expression complex.

“Yes. After all, he and I are of the same generation. It’s easiest for peers to interact. I can move freely in the open, making me the best choice to test his true nature.”

“Besides, don’t you think he resembles Xue Gangtao in some ways? Perhaps Xue Tian'ai is also a member of the Xue family.” Wuyan pressed a button on the table, and instantly, photographs of Xue Gangtao and Xue Tian'ai appeared on the screen.

Both photos were taken in a bar. Xue Tian'ai was shown humbly carrying a tray, while Xue Gangtao laughed boisterously, an arm around a beautiful woman.

The five men at the table studied the comparison, their expressions turning grave. Indeed, there were undeniable similarities between the two.

If Xue Tian'ai truly belonged to the Xue family, it would be troubling news. Should the Xue family join the fray, their own burden would grow significantly heavier.

“Enough of that for now. Yan’er, what’s your assessment of Xue Gangtao?” the leader asked with a heavy sigh.

“Smoking, drinking, chasing women—he’s the same as ever, still the good-for-nothing young master. But I’ve been getting along with him quite well recently,” Wuyan replied, a faint smile playing on his lips, his white teeth shining in the dim room.