Chapter 266: Fight to the Last Gasp

Ye Mo's spirit sense detected an Audi parked nearby, apparently following Qiao Gang. A large man exited, appearing strong, but Ye Mo dismissed him as no match for even a yellow-level warrior.

Noticing Ye Mo's observation, Qiao Gang chuckled, "That's my bodyguard. My father insisted, much to my displeasure."

He Qi, walking beside Tang Beiwei, whispered, "Is Ye Mo your boyfriend? How did he get Qian He to release us?"

Tang Beiwei, like Ye Mo, disliked He Qi's arrogance and selfishness. "I don't know," she replied. "I woke up, and we were free."

"Really?" He Qi murmured, then asked, "You've never mentioned a boyfriend. He seems strong. How do you know him?"

Tang Beiwei's dislike grew. "That's my business," she said curtly.

He Qi, despite her annoyance, couldn't push further. Before, she wouldn't have bothered with Tang Beiwei, but now, she was intensely curious about Ye Mo—his connection to Qiao Gang, who seemed unusually deferential to him, and his apparent immunity to the consequences of assaulting a police officer. Who was this Ye Mo? Qiao Gang's father, Qiao Shenghu, was the vice-governor of Hu Zhong province, and the Qiao family held significant power.

Seeing Tang Beiwei's reluctance, He Qi approached Ye Mo. As she was about to insert herself between Qiao Gang and Ye Mo, a dark projectile shot towards Qiao Gang's forehead with lightning speed.

Both bodyguard and Qiao Gang were caught off guard. Recognizing the imminent threat, Qiao Gang felt a chill of dread.

Ye Mo instantly identified the assassination attempt. Though unsure of the motive, he felt inclined to help the seemingly amiable Qiao Gang—a simple matter for him.

Before the dart could strike, Ye Mo intercepted it. His spirit sense revealed a thin dart, fired not by hand, but a crossbow.

He quickly located the assailant, tens of meters away, holding a miniature crossbow. Without hesitation, Ye Mo hurled the dart back, impaling the man in the forehead. The man fell dead without a sound.

"Ahh..." Qiao Gang and his bodyguard reacted simultaneously to the near-fatal incident.

"Brother Ye, thank you! I owe you my life," Qiao Gang exclaimed, touching his forehead. He realized Ye Mo's exceptional strength—the dart's speed rivaled a bullet, yet Ye Mo caught and returned it effortlessly.

"I've killed the assassin," Ye Mo said. "He's behind the trash can to the left."

Qiao Gang immediately instructed his bodyguard to retrieve the body and made a phone call, his expression anxious.

He Qi, positioned behind Ye Mo, had the clearest view of his swift actions – a blur of motion too fast for her to process. She was even more shocked, suspecting Ye Mo's involvement in subduing Qian He.

The assassination attempt ended any appetite for food. Once Qiao Gang ended the call, the bodyguard returned with the corpse. Fortunately, the attack was discreet, unnoticed by others.

Examining the miniature crossbow, Qiao Gang's face paled. After a moment, he turned to Ye Mo, worry etched on his face. "Brother Ye, I'm sorry. I've caused you trouble."

"What's wrong?" Ye Mo asked, noticing Qiao Gang's distress.

Qiao Gang sighed. "It's the Earth Fiend. My grandfather told me about them—originally called Earth Kill, an international assassination organization with exorbitant fees. Someone hired them to kill me, likely because..."

He paused, glancing at He Qi. "Mrs. He, perhaps another time? I'm unable to join you today."

Though dissatisfied, He Qi knew pressing the issue would be unproductive.

After He Qi's departure, Qiao Gang explained, "I suspect it's about the blood coral. The race is a pretext. The Zhang, Yun, and River South Cha families, along with ours, discovered it. Four families vying for one treasure."

The mention of blood coral quickened Ye Mo's pulse. He recalled a similar spirit grass in the cultivation realm, but dismissed the possibility of it being the same. If it were, reaching the mid-stage of Chi Gathering (stage 4) would be within reach.

Qiao Gang continued, oblivious to Ye Mo's reaction, "We agreed to determine ownership through an auto race; two racers per family. First place gets eight points, last place one. The family with the highest total score wins the blood coral; one racer must be a family member. Since I'm the best racer, I have to participate. I invited you to be the other racer. They want me dead; I can't compete."

Ye Mo frowned. "If your racing skills are the best, why did the other families agree to a race?"

Qiao Gang smiled wryly. "Because we young masters discovered the blood coral during a race. Our family proposed this method, and the others couldn't object. But that's not my main concern. I fear this won't end with you killing their assassin."

Ye Mo remained silent, unfazed by a mere assassination organization.

Seeing Ye Mo's composure, Qiao Gang continued, "The Earth Fiend has operated for over a century. Their assassins are global, their identities unknown, as those who know them are dead. They've only failed three times. Anyone who kills their assassins becomes a target—no exceptions. Even our family avoids them, let alone confronting their members directly. I'm worried they'll hunt you relentlessly."

Ye Mo scoffed. "So, they can kill whomever they please, and you just accept your fate?"

Qiao Gang nodded grimly. "Usually, their targets only evade, none have succeeded. Their fees are astronomical. I only identified him by the tattoo on his wrist—a double-edged dagger, symbolizing 'fight to the last gasp.' A sword without a hilt, only two points."

He hesitated, then said, "Earth Fiend assassins are ranked: heaven, earth, and human. The one you killed was the lowest—human-level. But by killing him, you've become their enemy. They will pursue you relentlessly. Brother Ye, it's my fault. You can't simply run. How about you come back to the Qiao family with me?"

Tang Beiwei, hearing this, gripped Ye Mo's hand tightly, horrified that her brother had clashed with such a formidable organization.

Ye Mo waved his hand. "Brother Qiao, don't worry. I'm not concerned about a mere assassination organization. I'll be at the university gates in three days. Your family will need to prepare, so I won't disturb you."

Qiao Gang watched Ye Mo leave with Tang Beiwei, feeling immense guilt. Ye Mo had saved him, yet he couldn't resolve this issue.

"Let's go," Qiao Gang told his bodyguard, who placed the body in the car, and they sped away.

"Brother, what do we do?" Tang Beiwei worried. Her brother was now targeted by the Earth Fiend.

Ye Mo patted Tang Beiwei's shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll take you to Beijing tomorrow to stay with Sister Ye Ling. After I deal with this, I'll find you. Do you doubt my power? I've mastered Dao magic. A mere assassination organization poses no threat."