In January, the Southern Metropolis Daily had just seen off a cold front.

At 9 p.m., the night at Egret Lake was exceptionally tranquil.

The gradually warming temperature made the moonlight in the night sky much brighter.

Lu Jingye has been feeling restless and irritable lately. His 63rd birthday hasn't even arrived yet, but he's already got a few more gray hairs.

With only a few days left until Lunar New Year's Eve, and given the current turbulent times, Lu Jingye had arranged for his wife and daughter to return to their country mansion well in advance.

When he heard the news yesterday that Lin Dong was going to be released from prison, he knew that the first step of the Shadow Project, along with the assassination plot against Lin Dong, had failed.

The A-level assassin brought in from abroad was the final trump card in the game.

If they win, Lin Dong will perish; if they lose, the Yunying Society will be in grave danger.

Within a 2-kilometer radius of Bailuhu Lake, there is only this one villa. In the past, it was absolutely a symbol of the status and position of Yunying Society and Lu Jingye.

But starting tonight, Lu Jingye felt a pressure and unease he had never felt before.

The area around the villa is usually deserted; it's quiet, but also dangerous.

In the pitch-black night, a ferocious monster seemed to lurk, coldly watching the lights of the villa...

At this moment, all the lights in the Egret Lake Villa, from the garden to the interior of the building, inside and out, were turned on.

More than 30 Cloud Shadow Society experts, each carrying a pistol and a knife, patrolled vigilantly inside the courtyard wall. Everyone looked tense, as if facing a formidable enemy.

More than ten armed gang members stood guard in the lobby on the first floor, all on high alert.

Four armed thugs guarded the second-floor study, the balcony, and the entrance.

Three elderly men sat around the tea table in the study; they were the three giants of the Cloud Shadow Society:

President Lu Jingye, strategist Guan Bo, and mastermind Mo Huan.

"President, I just received news from the North District that Gao Qijiang's territory was attacked tonight. The perpetrators were Lin Dong and Wang Hu's men."

Guan Bo, with his full head of white hair, seemed anxious and uneasy tonight; his former confident and composed demeanor had vanished.

"So fast? This kid was just released from prison this afternoon, right?"

Lu Jingye was taken aback, and murmured:

"It seems that the A-level assassin we brought back has also failed."

"Please rest assured, guild leader. I've brought over the most capable fighters and the best marksmen in the guild. It won't be so easy for Lin Dong to break in."

Mo Huan offered words of comfort, but inwardly he couldn't help but sigh; the scenario he least wanted to see had unfolded.

Unexpectedly, even in his old age, Ghost Hand Mo Huan would have to face another crisis for the Cloud Shadow Society.

His attitude towards Lin Dong has always been complicated:

He both admired and regretted it; in fact, he was unwilling to admit it and even felt a touch of awe.

Yes, people in the martial arts world, especially those who practice martial arts like him, have a deep respect for the strong regardless of age.

"Old Mo, instruct everyone: if Lin Dong shows up, don't waste any words, kill him without mercy!"

Lu Jingye's cloudy eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he said coldly.

"clear."

Mo Huan stood up and went to assign tasks.

......

At 10 p.m., the night around Egret Lake was even darker.

The area around the villa was even quieter, as if something terrifying might happen at any moment.

Even the moonlight in the sky secretly hid behind the clouds, not showing its face for a long time.

Suddenly, a loud bang echoed as the villa's gate was slammed shut.

"Bang!"

The entire courtyard trembled. More than 30 Cloud Shadow Society experts in the flower courtyard quickly drew their pistols or knives and clubs, staring nervously at the iron gate with a large dent.

A few seconds later, a louder, more violent bang shook the leaves of the surrounding trees.

"Bang!"

The iron gate to the courtyard was smashed open with tremendous force, and a black SUV rushed in.

"Bang~ Bang~ Bang..."

A barrage of gunfire erupted as the Cloud Shadow Society experts inside the courtyard gave the people in the car no chance whatsoever, firing dozens of bullets in quick succession.

The bullet shattered the windshield, body, and doors of the SUV, sending sparks flying.

"Squeak!"

The car sped towards the first floor of the villa and crashed hard into the stone steps.

With a loud bang, the vehicle came to a stop.

The passenger door opened, and a dark figure darted out like a ghost, leaping off the ground and charging into a group of gunmen in front.

The gunmen only had time to pull the trigger once, and bullets flew everywhere.

"Swish swish..."

Several gleaming blades flashed, startling a string of silent lightning in the lamplight.

Amid screams, several arms flew into the air, each severed arm clutching a black pistol at its wrist...

It was too fast; the figures were fast, and so were the blades.

In the blink of an eye, eight gunmen had their arms severed, their throats slit, and they collapsed to the ground amidst splattering blood.

The others in the courtyard reacted, but upon seeing the scene before them, a deep sense of fear spread through their bodies.

The remaining 20-odd men screamed and frantically pulled the triggers at the charging black figure, or wildly waved their knives and clubs.

But all of this is too ineffective and brings no sense of security whatsoever...

The gunfire gradually subsided, and the voices ceased.

In the villa garden under the lights, apart from Lin Dong, there was no one else standing.

Lin Dong smoothed out the slight wrinkles in his black suit and glanced at the tightly closed door on the first floor.

The ground beneath his feet was covered in warm blood, and a sense of cruelty and bloodshed permeated the air, quickly spreading throughout the entire villa.

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