This is Zhan Ming's past. These are all things he has experienced. At that time, Zhan Ming only had one thought: to survive. He would put anything in his mouth, as long as he wouldn't starve to death.

He was locked in that small house in the wilderness for three years until one day the leader released him. This organization was called the Dark Gate. The leader was a very strange person. Every time he appeared, he only wore a strange mask, and no one had ever seen his real face.

Zhan Ming became emaciated. Although the guards would bring him a meal that could hardly be called food every now and then, over time, Zhan Ming had become extremely weak. So much so that when he was brought before the boss, the man's eyes revealed a hint of disgust.

“These people aren’t in good physical condition, especially him.” The man shoved him, and Zhan Ming fell to the ground. “He’s so skinny, even if he learns martial arts, he’ll hardly amount to anything.”

Zhan Ming felt this was an opportunity for him. He had been unable to leave this place for several years, which inevitably caused his eyes to sting when exposed to sunlight. He blinked uncomfortably, which made him even more determined that he absolutely could not be locked up in that place again.

“I can become very strong.” Zhan Ming suddenly stepped forward, which surprised the man. This little guy was quite interesting.

"Do you dare to kill someone?"

Zhan Ming nodded firmly in affirmation. He was willing to do anything as long as he could leave that place.

After that, Zhan Ming stayed in the Dark Gate and devoted himself to martial arts training. In just five years, he became the number one assassin, unmatched by anyone, even those who had been in the sect for many years.

Zhan Ming now had his own small courtyard and subordinates; he was fifteen years old that year.

"Master, we have received a mission from above, and you are to deal with Master Shen."

Zhan Ming's expression remained unchanged. To him, it didn't matter who the target was; they would all die. The long-term killing had made him somewhat numb, which made the guards worry that if things continued like this, Zhan Ming would really become a monster who only knew how to kill.

Even Zhan Ming thought so.

He looked at Song Tangxue, her profile reflected in his eyes, so resolute. She stood before the child without hesitation, as if protecting himself from that time.

If he had met Song Tangxue back then, would things have been different? Would he have been able to experience joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness like an ordinary person, instead of living such an absurd life as he is now?

“Alright, then according to the rules of our Lingfeng Kingdom, if you defeat us, you can naturally leave with you and take him with you.”

This is practically deliberately making things difficult for them. There are more than ten people on their side, and it's almost impossible for one person to win against so many.

One of them noticed the seriousness in Song Tangxue's eyes and chuckled, "Little girl, this isn't something you can interfere with. If you leave now, I can pretend nothing happened, but otherwise..."

The man revealed the dagger in his hand, meaning that if Song Tangxue disobeyed, he would take action directly. After all, deaths and injuries were all too common in this place, and every day someone would be forced to leave this place forever.

Zhan Ming suddenly laughed, and only then did they notice that there was a man following Song Tangxue the whole time.

"Who are you?"

"If you want to kill her to my face, then kill me first."

Zhan Ming exuded a chilling aura, causing them to take a few steps back in fear. For some reason, they felt that this man's presence was extremely terrifying.

Just as the two sides were locked in a tense standoff, a man dressed in white walked in.

"oh?"

"Master." The crowd, who had been furious, immediately calmed down.

"What happened?"

The man's gaze swept over them, and whether it was Song Tangxue's imagination or not, it seemed that he lingered longer on Zhan Ming.

"This woman is deliberately causing trouble, but it's nothing unusual; a few children have just been brought up here."

The man in white glanced at the child and instantly understood what was going on.

"Didn't I tell you before? Don't send such young children here anymore, no matter how much money you offer. Are you ignoring me?"

He was so frightened that he trembled and knelt down with a thud: "Please give me another chance, I was bewitched for a moment."

Song Tangxue glanced at the man a few more times. It seemed he was in charge here. She hadn't expected his words to have such a great effect.

"You can leave now. If I find out about something like this again, I'll hold you accountable."

However, Song Tangxue couldn't determine whether he was a good person based on this alone. Anyone who entered this place would inevitably be poisoned, which made her very suspicious. She had read in an ancient book that anyone poisoned by this would experience dizziness and blurred vision. She wondered if the man's motives were related to this.

The man walked towards them with a gentle breeze: "Gentlemen, my men are ignorant and have caused you trouble. I have already spoken to them, and they will never do it again. You can take this child with you."

It was too dangerous. Song Tangxue grabbed the child's hand and was about to leave when the man blocked their way.

"Is there anything else you wish to discuss?"

A hint of inquiry crept into the man's eyes: "You weren't poisoned, were you? How did you manage to sneak in?"

He is an extremely skilled doctor who can tell at a glance whether a person is poisoned.

He shook his head again: "No, it's not you, it's you."

His eyes were fixed on Song Tangxue, and she felt as if her secret was about to be discovered by him. Just as Song Tangxue was about to escape, Zhan Ming stood between the two of them.

“She was definitely not poisoned. I brought her in. But it’s obvious that the guards here are too weak.”

It should be noted that the guards here are all highly skilled fighters capable of taking on a hundred men each. Yet, Zhan Ming simply said that their strength was too weak, and the man was not angry at all. In fact, he could even laugh under such circumstances.

"This young master must be exceptionally skilled. Would you have the honor of a duel with him?"

Zhan Ming rolled his eyes. As the leader of the Dark Gate, how could just anyone dare to fight him? "No, I don't have time. Let's go now."

The man blocked their way again, clearly indicating that they couldn't leave without a fight. The others also surrounded them, and even if Zhan Ming was strong, he couldn't protect the two of them in front of so many people.

"I have a bad temper, so please don't make me say it again. I promise that no matter what the outcome, I will let you go."

Since this person is determined to die, then I'll grant his wish.

Zhan Ming pulled down his cloak: "Alright, but I need to get rid of the poison in my body first, otherwise it would be too unfair."