Chapter 163 - 162: Deep Remorse

Ye Xuan sped all the way and soon arrived at the hospital.

By this time, Yang Bingyu was already bleeding. Though the blood loss wasn’t massive, the pain was excruciating. Soon, the lights above the emergency room turned on. Sitting on the bench outside, Ye Xuan felt for the first time that every passing second dragged on like an eternity.

It wasn’t long before Lin Aoxue called to ask where he was. Before heading out, Ye Xuan had called her, mentioning that Yang Bingyu was coming to the hospital with him to visit her. Lin Aoxue didn’t know what Yang Bingyu’s intentions were, but she had agreed anyway. Yet, after waiting at the hospital for ages with no sign of them, she grew worried and decided to call.

Ye Xuan glanced at the emergency room doors and spoke with difficulty. "Aoxue, something happened to Bingyu. I’m outside the emergency room right now."

On the other end of the line, Lin Aoxue’s heart skipped a beat. She instantly sat up in bed and prepared to get down without a second thought. "Is everything okay? I’m coming to find you right now."

Having stayed in the hospital for days, Lin Aoxue’s injuries hadn’t fully healed, but her mobility was no longer an issue. Bringing Yu Ling along, she rushed to the emergency room in a panic. At a glance, she spotted Ye Xuan on the bench, his face etched with remorse.

"Ye Xuan!" She took a few quick steps over to him and pulled him into a gentle hug.

Lin Aoxue could see his current panic; after all, this was his first child. Even though the timing was less than ideal, it didn’t change the fact that Ye Xuan loved the baby.

"It’s all my fault for not protecting Bingyu. I’m completely useless!" Thinking about how Yang Bingyu had been hurt right in front of him filled Ye Xuan with boundless regret. If only he had taken a harder stance from the beginning and driven Yang Hui and her people away, denying them any chance to interact with Yang Bingyu, things wouldn’t have turned out like this.

"There, there, it’s okay. You can’t blame yourself for this. I’m sure Yang Bingyu will be fine," Lin Aoxue soothed, her voice soft as she gently patted his back. Seeing this man so helpless for the first time made her heart ache terribly.

Hidden in the shadows, Yu Ling watched Ye Xuan with utter astonishment. He wondered, "Is this really the impartial, ruthless Cyan Dragon Chief?"

In truth, Ye Xuan had been weighed down by recent events. Lately, Yang Bingyu and Lin Aoxue had been targeted one after another. Incident followed incident, and every single time, it was a narrow escape from death. Ye Xuan wanted to protect them, yet he kept coming agonizingly close to losing them. It left him deeply frustrated, making him feel utterly useless for the first time—he couldn’t even protect two women.

However, this emotional breakdown only lasted a brief moment. After venting his frustrations, he quickly regained his composure. Holding Lin Aoxue gently, he declared with a resolute expression, "Xue’er, I will never let either of you get hurt again. Anyone who dares to lay a hand on you will die."

Lin Aoxue looked up, meeting Ye Xuan’s starry eyes, and slowly melted into his gaze. Feeling his breath brush against her and catching his familiar scent, her heart pounded wildly. Seeing her flushed cheeks and affectionate gaze, Ye Xuan’s heart stirred as well. He lowered his head and captured her red lips in a passionate, endless kiss.

Watching from the shadows, Yu Ling burned with jealousy. This public display of affection was just too much. He really wanted a girlfriend, too.

Right at the height of their passion, Ye Xuan’s phone suddenly rang. Her cheeks burning, Lin Aoxue pushed against his chest, signaling him to answer it. Ye Xuan reluctantly broke the kiss and pulled out his phone.

Night Rose.

Seeing the name on the screen, a wave of sour jealousy washed over Lin Aoxue. Why was this woman calling him? If she had known it was her, she wouldn’t have let him answer it.

Sensing the jealousy radiating from the woman beside him, Ye Xuan gave a faint smile and was just about to reject the call when Night Rose hung up first. This unusual behavior caused him to frown, and he immediately dialed back. But the line rang until it went to voicemail; Night Rose didn’t answer. Ye Xuan’s heart sank.

Something had happened to Night Rose.

Moments after Night Rose had dialed Ye Xuan’s number, a ghost-like figure suddenly materialized behind her. Her hair stood on end, her nerves pulled taut as alarm bells screamed in her mind. Without a moment’s hesitation, she bent backward, and a gleaming Japanese katana slashed right over her head. A lock of severed hair drifted slowly to the ground.

Night Rose planted her hands on the ground, pushed off hard with her left leg, and kicked her attacker squarely in the shoulder. The figure stumbled back three steps, their blade scraping against the floor in a shower of sparks. Seizing the opening to create some distance, Night Rose stared back at her assailant with an icy glare.

The man was of medium height and rather lean, with handsome features. However, his eyes were like a viper’s, radiating endless ruthlessness. Night Rose’s eyes immediately narrowed. A surge of unease rose in her heart, but her expression remained completely unreadable.

"Zhu Yeqing, you still don’t have what it takes to kill me."

Zhu Yeqing, the seventh-ranked assassin on the Celestial Ranking. He was also Night Rose’s junior martial brother.

"And... what if it’s like this?" Zhu Yeqing met her gaze fearlessly. As soon as his words fell, six more figures appeared beside him in perfect unison.

Four, Five, Six, Eight, Jiu, and Ten.

She scoffed inwardly. What had she done to deserve this? To think that the Celestial Ranking had mobilized every top-ten assassin—save for the top three—just to kill her.

"Youngest, are you here to kill me too?" Night Rose shifted her gaze to a little girl standing to the side, asking with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

"Third Sister, this is an order. We’re just following commands," the little girl said, her brows furrowed tightly as she looked at Night Rose with a complicated expression. "Don’t make this hard for us. We’re all fellow disciples. Why don’t you just come with us? The others and I will definitely plead your case with the Boss."

Within the Celestial Ranking, aside from her disciple, Butterfly, Night Rose was closest to her junior martial sister, Ten. Though this little girl was ruthless and highly skilled, she was still just a child. Night Rose had always tried to protect the last shred of innocence in the Youngest’s heart. But looking at her today, it seemed she had ultimately become just like the rest of them—a cold-blooded killer molded by the Celestial Ranking.

"Youngest, do you remember what I told you before? An assassin never surrenders without a fight."

A flash of pity crossed the little girl’s eyes. She bit her lip and said, "Then, Third Sister, don’t blame us for being merciless."

With that, the six figures sprang into action. The first to reach Night Rose was Eight, the Poisonous Scorpion. He fired several Poison Needles from his hand. Night Rose drew the Soft Sword coiled around her waist and, executing the Celestial Maiden Scattering Flowers technique, knocked all the needles away.

Immediately after, a terrifying sense of mortal peril enveloped the Poisonous Scorpion. By now, it was entirely too late for him to retreat. His face drained of color as if he had just seen a ghost. He tried to scramble backward, but Night Rose gave him no chance to escape.