185: Come to the hotel and find me; I'll be your male companion!

Ye Chen explained calmly.

"Just before I came to your place, on the way, a guy with a specially made runic crossbow ambushed me. The arrows were coated with Soul Devouring Incense."

Night Owl's expression changed abruptly. "Dark Crow's Bone-Corroding Crossbow and Soul Devouring Incense? Those are standard equipment for their high-priority elimination missions! And then?"

Ye Chen glanced at her as if looking at an idiot.

"Then? Naturally, I killed him."

"Killed him?" Night Owl was stunned, her expression turning a bit strange. "You... just killed him like that? In the city center?"

"Otherwise? Keep him around for the New Year?" Ye Chen retorted.

Night Owl fell silent for a few seconds, slowly let out a breath, and looked at Ye Chen with a complex gaze. "It seems the Black Prison headquarters is truly determined to kill you this time, even deploying a sharp blade like 'Dark Crow' that they rarely use."

"They've wanted to kill me for more than a day or two."

Ye Chen's eyes narrowed, his expression gradually turning somber. "Don't talk about such useless things. Just tell me, does 'Dark Crow' have any strongholds within the borders of Dragon Kingdom? Permanent ones."

Hearing this, Night Owl's expression became serious. She sat on the bed, her leather pants outlining her beautiful legs.

"Yes, and more than one."

She licked her lips, her eyes flickering. "However, most are mobile or disguised as ordinary companies or warehouses. Those that can truly be called 'strongholds,' with permanent experts and a command system..."

She paused, meeting Ye Chen's gaze.

"The capital of Fujian Province, City Name."

"There is one there, one of Dark Crow's most important dens in the Southeast region."

"It's said that there are at least three 'Dark Crow Envoys' at the late stage of the Yellow Rank, and a 'Crow Head' who has touched the threshold of the Black Rank stationed there."

Ye Chen started to laugh.

"City Name... it's not far. Take me there."

"Are you crazy?!" Night Owl's eyes widened, her heterochromatic eyes filled with disbelief. "Take you there? You... you aren't planning to go and wipe out that stronghold directly, are you?!"

Ye Chen remained noncommittal, just looking at her calmly.

That gaze was so calm it made Night Owl's skin crawl.

She knew all too well what that look meant... "Ye Chen! Listen to me!"

Night Owl's entire body tensed up.

"Dark Crow is different from those assassins in Black Prison who just work for money!"

"They are the true fangs of the Black Prison headquarters!"

"If you touch one of their strongholds, it's the same as slapping Black Prison hard in the face. It's an outright declaration of war!"

"Black Prison has existed for so many years not just because of the assassination business!"

"Its foundations, its methods of retaliation, the powers that might be involved behind it... they are far beyond your imagination!"

"Once you really do this, it's equivalent to declaring war on the entire Black Prison. The consequences would be unimaginable!"

Ye Chen listened to her rapid-fire warnings without any expression on his face.

Only after Night Owl finished did he speak leisurely.

"Declare war?"

"From the moment they first laid hands on the people around me..."

"The war had already begun."

"It's just that they have always felt they were the ones hunting me."

Ye Chen stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the deep night outside.

"Now, it's time to switch roles."

"Either they retreat completely and act as if nothing ever happened."

"Or..."

Ye Chen paused, his tone flat but carrying a chill.

"I will chop off their claws, one by one, every single one of them."

"Until they know pain, know fear, and never dare to reach out again."

Arrogant!

Absolute arrogance!

Night Owl opened her mouth, looking at Ye Chen's silhouette in the shadows, unable to find any words to retort for a moment.

After a long while, Night Owl let out a long breath.

Then.

She picked up the half-glass of cold water on the table and drank it in one gulp. "Give me a reason, and give me a reason to believe in you."

"One person, wiping out a Hidden Sect. Is that enough?" Ye Chen asked back nonchalantly.

Night Owl's pupils constricted, her face full of horror. "What? You, by yourself, wiped out the Hidden Sect???"

"More or less," Ye Chen explained calmly. "I just killed their Thirty-Six Earthly Fiends, Sixteen Heavenly Fiends, as well as their Sect Master and the Young Lady."

That's it?

The corner of Night Owl's eye twitched.

Anyone who knew what that combined force represented wouldn't think it was just a "that's it"!

She even thought... that the gap between her and Ye Chen was getting smaller.

But hearing this now, it seemed to have widened again!

She closed her eyes and made up her mind.

"Fine."

"Since you insist on playing this big..."

"I'll accompany you!"

"I know the approximate location of that stronghold in City Name."

"The specific internal structure and precise personnel configuration will need further reconnaissance once we get there..."

Before she could finish.

Ye Chen waved his hand and said, "No need for reconnaissance. We'll just kill our way in."

Night Owl: "..."

Fuck!

What character!

She liked it!

"Truly a madman!"

Night Owl grit her teeth and spoke speechlessly.

"Fine, I'll go crazy with you this once!"

"But City Name is a three-hour drive from here. If we leave now, we can arrive before dawn."

Ye Chen nodded, said no more, and turned to walk out of the guest room.

Yi Yue was still waiting in the living room. Seeing him come out, she hurriedly stood up. "A-Chen, Sister Night Owl..."

"She's fine now."

A-Chen waved his hand at her.

"She and I have to go to City Name to handle some business. We might be back tomorrow or the day after."

"You and your parents lock the doors at home. Contact me immediately if anything happens."

Yi Yue gave a compliant "Mm," but her eyes couldn't hide her worry. "You... be careful."

"Don't worry."

Ye Chen gave her a hug before walking to the entryway and picking up the car keys.

Night Owl had already followed him out. She grabbed a black trench coat from the coat rack to wrap around herself and tied her damp hair into a messy ponytail.

The two of them went downstairs one after the other.

The car model was still parked downstairs, but Ye Chen didn't drive it. Instead, he walked to a corner of the residential area's parking lot and lifted the dust cover off a black SUV... Hmph.

He wouldn't drive the cars that Yi Yue or he had bought for the time being.

After all, they were going to kill people, not to play!

On the other hand, the modified car Night Owl drove was very suitable for doing bad things... The two got into the car, and it drove out of the residential area.

On the road.

Ye Chen took out his phone and dialed Bing Lan.

The ringtone sounded a few times and was quickly picked up.

Bing Lan spoke coldly, "Ye Chen?"

"Mm, it's me."

Ye Chen said helplessly, "Something came up suddenly. I have to go to City Name for a bit. I'll be back in about a day or two."

There was silence on the other end for two seconds.

"Okay, stay safe."

Bing Lan didn't ask much, just softly reminded him, "Focus on what you're doing. Don't worry about us."

"Okay."

Ye Chen hung up the phone. Night Owl curled her lip. "Still reporting in?"

"Otherwise?" Ye Chen didn't even lift his eyelids.

"Tsk, I didn't expect that Mr. Ye, who doesn't even blink when killing people, would be henpecked."

Night Owl teased him.

Ye Chen didn't bother to respond, asking instead, "Where exactly is the stronghold?"

Night Owl explained slowly, "At City Name's First Pier, on a private cruise ship called 'cloud top'."

Ye Chen was surprised.

"A cruise ship?"

He never expected... that Dark Crow's lair in Dragon Kingdom would actually be on a ship!

"Yes."

Night Owl nodded.

"On the surface, that ship belongs to an entertainment company registered overseas. It regularly hosts high-end private parties and only accepts guests with specific invitations."

"In reality, it's Dark Crow's dispatch point. Every half-month, goods, information, and even personnel... all circulate through there."

She paused and added.

"So the security is very tight. The difficulty of forcing your way in is no lower than launching a frontal assault on a small-to-medium-sized sect's base..."

"Moreover, it's on the water, and the environment is complex. Once surrounded, it would be troublesome to escape."

Ye Chen showed no reaction after hearing this.

Night Owl waited for a while, and when no further words came, she couldn't help but glance sideways at him.

"Well?"

"How do you plan to get in? You aren't really going to fight your way in, are you?"

"That's right!" Ye Chen smiled slightly. "It's much simpler to just kill our way in. Did you think I was joking before?"

Night Owl: "..."

Fine.

You're the boss.

Your fists are hard.

You call the shots.

She leaned back, not bothering to advise him further.

Suddenly!

*Buzz... Buzz...*

Ye Chen's phone vibrated; it was a WeChat message notification.

Who would send him a WeChat message in the middle of the night?

Ye Chen glanced at it and swiped open the screen.

[Bai Wanqing: I heard from my sister that you went to Hong Kong City?]

Ye Chen thought for a moment and replied: [Yeah, I went to handle some business. Just got back!]

The reply came almost instantly.

[Bai Wanqing: Then are you free tomorrow?]

[Ye Chen: Not free. I'm on the way to City Name.]

This time, the other side paused for a few seconds before sending a playful winking cat emoji.

[Bai Wanqing: That's a coincidence. I happen to have an engagement in City Name tomorrow night to attend a party. After you arrive in City Name, if you have time, come find me at the Genting Hotel, Room 1011, and act as my male companion.]

[Ye Chen: What party?]

[Bai Wanqing: One called the 'cloud top Private Charity Gala.' It's held on a ferry. I heard it's quite interesting. The organizers gave me an invitation.]

cloud top?

A ferry?

Ye Chen was stunned. He turned to look at Night Owl. "What did you say the name of that cruise ship was just now?"

Night Owl didn't open her eyes. "The 'cloud top'!"

Ye Chen: "..."

Silence for two seconds.

Ye Chen replied without hesitation.

[Ye Chen: Okay, see you tomorrow.]