The Crescent?

The revelation caused a violent tremor to run through her heart.

The Crescent operated strictly under the absolute authority of their enigmatic leader, whose moniker matched the organization itself. They were a premier syndicate of assassins.

They moved through the shadows like ghosts, and no matter how impossible or hazardous a contract appeared, they maintained a record of absolute completion.

So this man was the supreme commander of the Crescent; no wonder he possessed the terrifying confidence to infiltrate the Syndicate's headquarters entirely unaided.

Yet... rumors always dictated that the leader of the Crescent was a phantom who never exposed his true form.

Scarlett pressed herself against the wall, shifting her body slightly to utilize the reflective glass lining the corridor, intending to map out the leader's features.

An intense curiosity gripped her mind; the Crescent and the Syndicate had consistently harbored a blood feud.

Years ago during the Syndicate's catastrophic internal schism, the Crescent had suddenly erupted onto the scene, aiming their blades squarely at the Syndicate's throat, shattering their foundation and reducing them to a second-tier faction.

Why on earth had he come to confront the Shadow Master tonight?

Her mind raced to connect the dots between the short-haired detective and Sebastian.

What connection did Sebastian share with the Crescent?

The man violently threw the vault door open, light instantly flooding the corridor: "A reception is unnecessary. I have come solely to demand an answer to a single inquiry."

As the bright light completely illuminated the space, the mirror cleanly captured the man's profile—

It was Sebastian!

Chapter 24

Scarlett's pupils contracted violently, an absolute shock leaving her entirely paralyzed.

Sebastian?

He was the leader of the Crescent.

Within the reflection of the glass, she caught the lightning-fast flash of a blade as Sebastian raised his hand. The sudden glare pierced her eyes, instantly snapping her brain back into focus.

She loosed a dagger from her fingers, its trajectory calculated perfectly to collide directly with the descending edge of Sebastian's blade.

The raw clash of metal rang out with a sharp, agonizing screech that echoed through the vault.

Both weapons were violently deflected, tumbling to the floor and sinking silently into the plush carpet.

"Scarlett," Sebastian said, turning his head to face her without a shred of surprise. "You came."

He maintained an absolute, unshakeable composure, acting as though everything had transpired according to his precise calculations, leaving her momentarily stunned.

"You anticipated my arrival?"

"I deduced it," Sebastian replied, entirely unbothered by the fact that she had just disarmed him.

"So, you are Sebastian?" The Shadow Master's elegant features twisted into a look of pure astonishment.

Yet he mastered his expressions within a single beat, a cold calculation settling over his face.

"This is truly a fascinating revelation. The crown prince of the dynasty corporation turns out to be the supreme commander of the Crescent."

Sebastian ignored his commentary entirely, remaining rooted to his spot as he waited for Scarlett to draw closer.

The Shadow Master caught her gaze, a sharp smirk playing on his lips: "Do not lose sight of our code."

The code mandated that whenever the organization required its assets, even retired assassins were obligated to throw themselves into the fray without a single beat of hesitation.

Scarlett stared back at the Shadow Master's deceptive smile, having absolutely no intention of acting as his shield. She turned her eyes to Sebastian:

"You have come to execute the leader of my organization. Why?"

"I am here solely to verify a single truth," Sebastian stated.

She swept up the discarded dagger from the floor, asking, "Because of this?"

Previously, the distance had been far too great for her to map out the details.

Now holding it in her hand, she realized the blade was exceptionally sharp and resilient, hammered down to a razor-thin edge.

Furthermore, the hilt was crafted from heavily ornate brass, its intricate patterns hiding a distinct serial code stamped into the corner: 009.

009...

It was the Shadow Master's personal designation code.

This particular blade belonged exclusively to him.

The Shadow Master had carved his reputation through a trail of blood during the Syndicate's internal wars years ago; though Scarlett had been a mere child at the time, the legends surrounding his combat prowess were near-sacred.

The ornate brass dagger was his signature weapon.

"Ah..." The Shadow Master accepted the weapon from Sebastian, executing a series of exceptionally fluid, practiced flips with the blade.

"It indeed happens to be my blade; it vanished from my possession a considerable time ago. I must extend my gratitude to you for retrieving it, Master Sebastian."

He casually rested the weapon against the mahogany desk, smiling warmly at Sebastian as if offering genuine appreciation.

Sebastian’s eyes, however, turned as sharp as scalpels, pinning the Shadow Master with a lethal glare: "That blade was extracted directly from the corpse of Ye Qingzer."

Ye Qingzer?

Who on earth was that?

Before Scarlett could process the unfamiliar name, the smile on the Shadow Master's face instantly solidified.

Sebastian continued, his voice dropping to a freezing register: "The final contract you executed before securing supreme command of the Syndicate was the assassination of the elite family's young lady, Ye Qingzer."

A suffocating chill erupted from the Shadow Master, his eyes locking onto Sebastian: "How on earth did you unearth that information?"

Sebastian remained completely unmoved, staring at the brass blade with a lethal light glinting in his eyes: "To orchestrate a coup within your organization, you required an astronomical influx of currency."

"The contract on Ye Qingzer provided precisely that wealth, ensuring your successful rise to power."

Scarlett gave a quiet nod of comprehension. The Syndicate's historical civil war had indeed been triggered by an absolute depletion of operational capital.

And the Shadow Master had secured his throne by injecting his personal fortune to stabilize the faction.

With every syllable Sebastian uttered, the Shadow Master's gaze grew a fraction colder.

"Therefore, you chose to execute a pregnant target who was on the absolute verge of delivery," Sebastian's voice dropped to a freezing register.

The revelation caused Scarlett’s heart to skip a beat.

An assassin fought strictly for wealth, executing any target without remorse, with two absolute exceptions: a pregnant woman and an infant.

For the Shadow Master to violate such a sacred boundary was an absolute disgrace to the trade!

"So many years have passed; those details have completely faded from my memory," the Shadow Master replied vaguely.

"You refuse to acknowledge it?" Sebastian arched an elegant eyebrow.

The Shadow Master maintained his detached composure, stating flatly: "The volume of contracts I processed during those years was astronomical; I have no recollection of it."

"Ha..." A terrifying fury bled into Sebastian's eyes as he pinned the Shadow Master with a look that seemed capable of tearing him apart on the spot.

"It doesn't matter if your memory fails you. I am here to jog it."

The moment the words faded, his hand struck like lightning. He seized the brass blade, lunging forward to drive it straight toward the Shadow Master's chest.

The Shadow Master's eyes narrowed, his arm rising automatically to parry the strike as his footing shifted back.

Yet Sebastian seemed to anticipate his exact defensive trajectory, smoothly altering the angle of his strike mid-motion, driving the blade directly toward the Shadow Master's face.

The Shadow Master failed to dodge the sudden shift entirely; the razor edge sliced cleanly across his cheek, blood instantly welling up to stain the plush carpet.

Before Sebastian could unleash a follow-up strike, the Shadow Master violently threw himself back toward the window.

He reached up to touch the bleeding laceration on his face, letting out a sharp chuckle: "Heh... it has truly been far too long since anyone managed to draw my blood..."

The Shadow Master raised his head, his eyes flashing with a menacing, predatory chill as he stared at Sebastian, demanding, "What exactly was Ye Qingzer to you?"

Chapter 25

"Me?" Sebastian’s eyes turned deep and predatory. "I am her son!"

The Shadow Master froze in sheer disbelief. "She died back then. How could it be..."

He distinctly remembered that to ensure she was thoroughly dead, he had purposefully checked her pulse and heartbeat, making absolutely certain she had stopped breathing before he left.

Listening to the exchange, Scarlett’s heart pounded with terror.

Sebastian had come here to claim a blood debt.

He was unshakeable in his resolve to avenge his mother tonight, and his purpose in deliberately drawing her here was to have her serve as a witness.

According to the ironclad rules of the underworld, a blood feud required a witness.

And a debt for the murder of one's parents could only end in absolute death.

He was firmly determined not to let the Shadow Master leave this room alive.

Tracking Sebastian's expression, she felt a profound surge of dread.

"Someone sliced open her abdomen and rescued me," Sebastian stated, locking his eyes onto the dazed face of the Shadow Master.