Returning from the Immortal World

Bangkok was blazing hot and one could smell a strong smell of sweat wafting in the air everywhere. The scorching sun felt like it wanted to turn the Earth into a gigantic oven to cook the living within. And yet, the locals and tourists, who braved the heat, were still lingering in the bustling area of Galois District, be it those who wandered to make a living, or those who strolled about for amusement.

The Sand Lotus Club.

It was the top entertainment club in the Galois District. It was always booming in business and was filled with guests year-round. With the various entertainment it offered, it was a paradise for those with deep pockets full of money. As thriving as it was on the surface, it was also the nest of Songzan, the man who controlled the entire underground world of the Galois District.

Amid the building complex in the deepest corner were two low-rise houses that were built between lush old trees. Even the blazing hot sun was unable to send its beams of light to shine on the two houses and nearby forest path.

“Boss.”

An ugly and ferocious-looking stalwart man donned in a black suit and black sunglasses strided across the woods and walked straight to the courtyard in front of the houses. Eyes full of respect, he looked at the big man in white attire sitting on the sofa in front of the pool as he called out to him in a low voice.

That man was Songzan. He looked up and lifted the brim of his sunhat, calmly asking, “What is it?”

“Someone wants to see you outside. He said he has lavish gifts to send you, Boss,” said the strongman. “He’s very strong and six of our guards on duty have been severely injured by him. Also, I can smell a strong stench of blood from him.”

“You know where he comes from?” asked Songzan with squinted eyes.

“He’s a new face. It’s our first time seeing him.” The strongman shook his head.

“A very reckless fella still dares to come to see me directly.” Songzan shook his head and smilingly said, “Bring him in over! I’ll see who dares to come to see me by the pretext of sending me gifts, yet wants to make trouble.”

“As you will it!” The big man replied and took his phone, dialed a cell number and spoke, “Bring him over here!”

A few minutes later, wearing a black casual outfit with sunglasses and a sunhat, Spectre came bringing two black handbags. Tens of guns’ muzzles were pointed at him as a greeting. As he walked to the front of the sofa, he directly threw the two black handbags before Songzan, nonchalantly taking a seat on the sofa next to him, and then lifted one of his legs onto the other, saying, “Frankly, this is my first time visiting someone so gentlemanly and openly like this. But you know, it feels so cool regardless.”

“Reckless and arrogant as you are, I hope that the gift you’ve sent me doesn’t disappoint,” said Songzan while shooting a look at Spectre. “Why don’t you introduce yourself first before I see your gift, Mister? I… never speak with strangers, unless they are going to part with their lives.”

“Well, well. I think it’s best for you to have a look at the gift I sent you, though.” Spectre grinned and said, “If anything, don’t be deceived by its light and worthless appearance. I guarantee you’ll show me a very interesting face once you see the lavish gift I sent you.”

For a moment, Songzan fell into silence. He motioned to the stalwart man next to him. The latter nodded without a word and came to the front of the two black handbags. He squatted and pulled the zipper down only to be greeted by a dripping blood head before him. It was a face he was familiar with!

“Boss…”

The stalwart man’s face was devoid of any other color but red. He instantly grabbed his pistol out from his waist, training its muzzle right at Spectre.

Seeing the two heads of his men, killing intent gleamed in Songzan’s eyes. He turned to glare at Spectre and growled coldly, “They were my loyal men and my powerful lieutenants, yet you’re able to kill them. But I assure you, Mister. You’ll never take even half a step out of this courtyard without giving me a satisfactory statement today!”

“Heh? These two trashes were your powerful lieutenants? Man, it seems like the so-called famous Underboss Songzan turns out to have such worthless underlings,” snorted Spectre with contempt. “Right, though. I think the Chinese correctly say ‘some shits of worthless trash’. Man, it seems like my knowledge about Chinese culture has improved recently.”

He took out the cig slowly and smelled it, lit it up and took a puff. As he puffed out smoke, he spoke again, “Well, that’s the gift my Boss ordered me to send you, though. He also sent you his warning to restrain your men to not come out and stop annoying him for two days since he’s gonna visit you two days later in person. He said he hopes that you have sufficient reason to keep your life intact.”

“Who the fuck is your Boss?” asked Songzan with a heavy voice.

Spectre didn’t hurry to answer, and instead leisurely smoked half of the cig and then flicked the butt to the pool. Then he got up and lightly said, “You think you can know my Boss’s name just because you want to learn it? Man, listen to my advice. You’d better think about how to keep your life. That’s a much more important issue for you right now.”

With that said, he took out black-gold plated cards from his pocket. He then calmly put them on the small round table and spoke, “You see, I used to leave this card to the dead. You’ve made me make an exception for the second time.”

As his voice faded away, a golden thread instantly appeared between his fingers. As it swept toward the strongman’s neck, the latter screamed while he raucously laughed and headed to the front gate.

On the nape of the strongman, however, appeared a tiny red mark. Along with the pace of Spectre leaving, the slit kept expanding with seeping blood until his head separated from his neck and fell to the ground near Songzan’s feet.

“Fuckin’ Bastard!!!”

Songzan abruptly got up and, as dozens of stalwart men around him instantly pulled out their guns, his eyes inadvertently swept over the black gold-plated card on the table. There was a flaming black mist insignia carved on the card that was like a demonic fire that sent a painful sensation to his eyes.

At this moment, Songzan suddenly shuddered with violently contracting pupils. He loudly ordered.

“DON’T SHOOT!!!”

Tens of his men who were about to open fire at Spectre abruptly stopped before pulling their guns’ trigger, looking at Songzan with confused faces.

With eyes fixed on Spectre, Songzan growled, “Are you Spectre? The world’s first assassin Spectre?”

Spectre’s pace came to a halt. He turned around and put on a slightly regretful face and sighed, “You see, for you to figure out who I am is quite a pity. I was hoping that your garbage underlings would shoot me. My Boss did order me not to hurry to kill you, but he didn’t say anything about me not fighting back. Do you remember what I just said, Songzan? You’re the first man I ever visited so openly and the first one alive after receiving Spectre’s Soulcatcher Insignia.”

Songzan shuddered violently inwardly and shouted fiercely, “When and how did the world’s first hitman become someone’s lackey? Just tell me, who exactly is your Boss?”

Instead of answering him directly, Spectre turned and waltzed outside and spoke to Songzan with his back facing the man, “You see, the Chinese have an adage that you don’t eat the tofu while it’s still hot— haste will make waste. I told you my Boss will visit you personally two days later. You’ll know him by then naturally.”

Tightly clenching his fists, Songzan viciously glared at Spectre leaving. However, a complicated feeling surged inside him. Had it been someone else who came today, he wouldn’t have had any shred of hesitation to order his men to shoot the man. However, the person was Spectre… a man he was very afraid of. The moniker of the world’s first assassin was absolutely the most horrible existence, and not someone he could confidently order his men to shoot at.

“Boss!” called out a big man hurriedly.

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!” roared Songzan angrily.

A while after, as Spectre’s shadow disappeared from his sight, he sat back on the sofa with a grim and nasty expression. He looked at the three heads in front of him and fell into silence for a long while. Then, he fished his phone out and dialed a cell number.

“Something’s up, Songzan?” a slightly hoarse voice came out from the phone.

With a slightly respectful appearance on his face, Songzan replied, “I’m afraid I’m in deep trouble, Godfather.”

“Speak.”

“Spectre, the world’s first hitman, just came to visit me. He injured six and killed three of my men,” said Songzan.

“What did you say? Are you sure he’s Spectre?” replied the voice from the phone. The man’s voice sounded a bit rushed.

“I have no way to verify his true identity, but he left a Soulcatcher Insignia. I have once seen a photo of his insignia before and it’s exactly the same,” answered Songzan.

The other party fell into silence for a long while and then said in a heavy and deep voice, “Wait for me there.”

As the call hung up, Songzan thought over what had happened recently and immediately called his caporegime, Alloway, to come immediately.

At the five-star Amanda Hotel.

As Tang Xiu finished teaching the human body’s acupoints diagram to Zhang Xinya, the suite’s door was knocked on. When he opened the door, Spectre immediately came forward and reported, “I visited Songzan as per your order, Boss.”

“Give me the details,” said Tang Xiu.

Spectre reported in detail and finally said, “I know he’s scared of me and I’m afraid that he’ll order his men to investigate things about me after I leave, which in extension, will point to you, Boss.”

“He’d be damned if he didn’t investigate anything about us given his position as the local Underboss,” replied Tang Xiu calmly. “Alright, let him investigate us as long as he doesn’t bother me for these two days. Also, I need you to investigate something else.”

“And that is?”

“I need to know who’s the real Kingpin of Bangkok’s underworld. I want to know the details before tomorrow night if possible.”

“Got it,” said Spectre. “Shall I get in touch with my contacts here?”

“You got some contacts in Thailand?” asked Tang Xiu.

“My intel network can be found in every country all over the world, Boss,” explained Spectre, “They are the people of the Darkwind Organization. I only need to buy intel from them if it’s just my personal business.”

“The Darkwind Organization?” cold light gleamed in Tang Xiu’s eyes and he faintly said, “Tell me how to contact them. I’m gonna buy the intel from them myself. As for you, I don’t want you to be noticed by anyone for now. You’re now my subordinate, to begin with.”

“Some people already sniffed out that I’m your man, Boss,” replied Spectre.

“You mean Songzan?” said Tang Xiu. “No worries. Unless some variables happen, he’ll only have 3 days left.”

“What variables?” asked Spectre.

Instead of answering, Tang Xiu slowly said, “Among those that I brought out from the 1319 Concentration Camp, I only took you with me to roam outside. The rest of them are on Clam Island. The fact that you’ve broken free from there should’ve been known to the outside world already, so we’ll try to stay as low-profile as possible so as not to be targeted by some forces.”