Free Web NovelChapter 668: Chapter 615: Two Gifts? I’ll Take Them Both!!!
The tall old man looked shocked, "Damn it, could it be he’s not really dead?"
He displayed a ghastly grin on his face, lowered his head, and glared at the envoy, Yin Zeze:
"Your attendant is not only disloyal but also quite problematic. Can you explain to me what exactly is going on with him?"
The hunchbacked elder, however, did not stay in place; he had already transformed into an arrow off the string, chasing into the well path.
The envoy was stunned, his mind blank: "???"
How could he know why Feng Ju didn’t die? If he knew how Feng Ju escaped death, he wouldn’t need to kneel and beg for mercy now?
Damn it...
How exactly Feng Ju managed to snatch his life back from these two old foxes, he really would love to copy his homework!
...
The thick darkness, like ink that couldn’t be dispersed, provided perfect cover for the silhouettes spying within.
On the other side of the well path, behind the collapsed concrete blocks and the twisted rebar half-burying the ruins, Ma Bin’s body was pressed tightly against the cold, damp pipe wall, his breath so faint it was almost inaudible.
Through the natural peephole formed by stacked rubble, he took in the life-and-death drama unfolding within the well path.
Right beneath his feet, a puddle of shadow rippled silently like a water wave, gradually coalescing into a blurry human outline.
"So this is the drama you invited me to watch in the dead of night? Listening to them discuss how to commit murder, and then... throw the blame onto me?"
The speaker’s face was covered with a bone-white mask, only two narrow slits over the eyes, within which were a pair of chilling eyes.
Pupils blood-red, within them a black-and-white Hook Jade, silently rotating, seemingly two bottomless whirlpools, emitting a spine-chilling malevolent aura.
The corners of Ma Bin’s mouth lifted slightly, his voice lowered:
"Who said they were framing you? They are clearly trying to frame [Mask]."
Apparently amused by Ma Bin’s humor, a delighted laugh came from beneath the mask:
"You’re right, haha—"
Ma Bin habitually adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and continued:
"However, these two old foxes, they are quite shrewd.
They deliberately plot loudly in the well path, clearly not just for the envoy, but also for us to hear.
They want to use the envoy as bait, provoking the possibly hidden [Mask] to appear, so they can capture you and the Sheepskin Scroll in one go, and return to their master for rewards and accolades."
Another chuckle came from beneath the mask, the rotating Hook Jade seemed brighter, "observing" Ma Bin with interest:
"Interesting, so these two old foxes are the ’big fish’ you painstakingly want to catch?"
Ma Bin shook his head, then nodded, smiling:
"Also a gift I prepared for you, but not these two old fellows; they’re not qualified. It’s the master who sent them to do the job."
His voice grew lower, more cheerful,
"As long as these two old fellows are here today, successfully kill the envoy, take the Sheepskin Scroll, and complete their ’task’...
Then, soon enough, the master behind them will ’pack’ themselves, becoming a grand gift from [Destiny] to us."
Compared to fighting, Ma Bin prefers schemes and intrigues.
He never deems it worthy to use brute force, instead becoming infatuated with meticulous plotting, leading the prey unknowingly to embrace [Destiny], eventually becoming its most devout followers.
Most squinty-eyed people are insidious, especially those who love wearing gold-rimmed glasses.
Ma Bin gazed into the distance, looking at the tear-and-snot-covered face of the envoy, expressionless he said:
"Actually, at the beginning, I was targeting only the envoy, but I truly didn’t expect he’d be so competent, attracting a more valuable big fish.
This is genuinely a delightful surprise, praise destiny!"
For this reason too, Ma Bin would never blow up the envoy; instead, he’d warn him.
He’d rather blow up Feng Ju, risking disfavor from his immediate superior, but never the envoy.
Only by having the envoy die at the hands of the "designated person" would this gift hold value.
In fact, Ma Bin’s concerns were unfounded; even if he blew up Feng Ju, Feng Mu would never blame him.
Feng Mu naturally understood the purpose behind Ma Bin explaining so much to him, a faint smile beneath the mask.
Feeling the stability in Feng Mu’s emotions, Ma Bin continued:
"Of course, I’ve considered the possibility that if the envoy survives, or even counter-kills those two old foxes, it doesn’t matter.
That would prove the envoy’s potential to be even more astonishing, a gift more worthy of investment."
No matter who survives in the end, Ma Bin would execute the plan to send a precious gift to Feng Mu in the future.
The only issue is if the envoy really survives, Ma Bin might have some trouble later.
After all, if the envoy doesn’t die today, there will inevitably be another silencing attempt.
However, these trivial details, Ma Bin doesn’t plan to share with Feng Mu.
They are just insignificant matters.
If blood can nurture a precious gift, what does it matter if a few people die?
In other words, Li Shang can die, the Cyan Wolf Gang can perish, even Ma Bin himself, it’s nothing for him to die.
As long as they die of significance and value, death is merely returning to the embrace of [Destiny].
Ma Bin has this mindset and believes Li Shang and others should too; being brothers in life and death, he is willing to make this decision for them.
Feng Mu naturally does not know that Ma Bin has prepared for his death behind his back; he just watches the drama in the well path, musing:
"Since they have sincerely called for me, do you think I should go out and show my face?"
Ma Bin naturally wouldn’t make decisions for his superior; he discreetly smiled:
"This is the gift I want to give you, so it’s up to you to choose whichever you like."
The implication being, if Feng Mu "prefers" the envoy and is willing to intervene, Ma Bin would comply, even if the cost is likely his own life.
He has no regrets, not even telling Feng Mu.
The choice is for the superior, while the burden of choice is his duty as the subordinate.
Feng Mu’s gaze never landed on Ma Bin.
He coldly stared into the deep well path, the Hook Jade in his pupils spinning faster, while the shadow under him slithered forward like a silent creature.
Feng Mu’s silhouette abruptly blurred, his words not yet falling as he vanished from the spot:
"Since it’s a meticulously prepared gift, how can I choose just one part and abandon the other?"
The air seemed to freeze for a moment, then only a metallic lingering sound reverberated in Ma Bin’s mind:
"I quite like both gifts, so I’ll take both!"
The voice carried a greed and commanding presence that brooked no argument.
The usually stagnant surface of Ma Bin’s thoughts rippled slightly: "...."
For the gift-giver, when I intend to present only one gift, you wish to receive two?
Truly, inexplicable shock!
A taste of being moved!
The question is, how can you receive two gifts when I have only one to offer?
....
The tall old man slowly crouched down, touched the envoy’s immobilized throat with pitch-black nails.
The nails, black as pitch, shimmered with a shallow cold light, chilling easily permeating the skin, soaking into the windpipe.
The envoy only felt his trachea was instantaneous frozen, each breath like swallowing ice shards, cold pain piercing from the throat to the lungs.
Then he heard the eerie voice of the tall old man whispering in his ear:
"Young Master Kuangyan, where’s the Sheepskin Scroll? If you truly don’t want to tell, then you needn’t.
After all, with some effort, I’ll still be able to find it. Don’t you think?"
Speaking, another hand drifted onto the envoy’s shoulder, five fingers resembling poisoned iron hooks.
At the same time, from the darkness behind him, a wriggling line of shadow silently slithered forward...
