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"An assassin who cannot kill his target and is spared by his foe has no place in my sect. What’s next? Are you going to drink tea with him and tell funny jokes?" the Poison Sect Master said, his tone filled with anger. "Consider yourself lucky. Next ti, I won’t be so rciful, Lin Ming."
Lin Ming nodded, lowering his head to the floor and closing his eyes. "I understand... This lowly disciple deeply regrets his actions. I promise it won’t happen again."
"Hmph..."
The Immortal stepped forward and vanished into the darkness. Lin Ming sighed in relief and slowly stood up.
He remained there, reflecting on his life choices, the cruel man he served, and the other assassins glaring at him as if he were beneath them.
Well, not all of them.
A young boy with short white hair approached, dressed in black robes that covered most of his body. His red eyes glead in the darkness, and his pale skin resembled that of the woman Lin Ming had seen from afar—Partner.
However, he was no vampire. He was sothing in between—a small "experint" created by the Sect Master.
A Dhampir.
"Senior Lin Ming, you’re back alive..." the boy said timidly. "I-I’m glad..."
"...Terion," Lin Ming said, glaring at the young assassin. "What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be cultivating the Five Poison Paths right now?"
"I finished my daily quota of cultivation... I was feeling thirsty, and when I asked an Elder for blood, they said I was disgusting and told to hunt for my own," the boy explained, revealing he was carrying two rabbits. "I only drink the blood. Do you want the at? Otherwise, it’ll go to waste."
Despite his intimidating and silent deanor, Lin Ming was the only mber of the sect who was approachable.
Terion was discriminated against because of his origins. Though he was an experint of the Sect Master, he aged slowly and had been mostly forgotten, living in the shadows.
Unlike most disciples, Lin Ming never insulted or mocked him. He was the only one who didn’t point out Terion’s flaws.
He was simply silent—and sotis, that silence was all the boy needed to feel a little better.
"..."
Lin Ming said nothing but walked deeper into the caves and into the forest beyond, where Terion had built a bonfire.
Unlike vampires, who feared the sun, Dhampirs could walk freely in daylight, though slightly weakened—sothing Terion had to overco through cultivation.
Lin Ming helped him skin the rabbits, teaching him techniques without speaking. As they placed the rabbits on sticks and watched them roast, the boy smiled and took out a small sachet of salt, sprinkling it over the red at.
"..."
Lin Ming stared into the flas in silence, occasionally glancing at the boy. He was reminded of the sa loneliness he had felt growing up in this place.
Despite everything, Terion was giving him the companionship he had once wished for.
He had thought Jonathan was talking nonsense, but in the end, he had always been kind—even before eting that self-proclaid "hero."
The boy began drinking blood while watching the rabbits cook.
"Why did you add salt? I thought you weren’t eating."
"I... might eat a bit."
"..."
"Sorry... I just wanted soone to eat with..."
Lin Ming didn’t respond. He looked at his hands—the scars he had carried for years were gone. Jonathan’s healing powers had completely erased them.
He hadn’t realized it, but most of his body was now healed. Perhaps that was why the Sect Master had sensed sothing strange about him.
"Um, senior?"
Lin Ming looked at Terion silently.
"Have you seen my mother?"
"...No."
"Ah... that’s okay. My big sister hasn’t returned from her mission... do you know if she’s okay?"
"I don’t know where she is."
Once the rabbits were done, both ate in silence. It was Lin Ming’s first al in over a day, and despite his reserved nature, he ate without restraint—down to the bones.
"You were hungry... I’m glad I could help."
"Thank you for the food."
Lin Ming stood up, preparing to leave.
"Ah, wait, senior..."
Terion tried to speak louder, but he was too shy to raise his voice.
"...What?"
Lin Ming turned to look at the boy.
And for a mont, he saw himself in him again.
That lonely boy, eating whatever he could find, watching the bonfire slowly turn wood into ashes.
"No... nothing... I’m sorry."
Terion looked down, sitting on a log and drinking his blood in silence.
Lin Ming walked away. Deep down, he wanted to stay—but he didn’t want to seem suspicious to the other disciples.
"Hey, Lin Ming! I heard you lost to so blonde guy and ca running back with your tail between your legs."
"Haha, what an assassin!"
"Truly, the Poison Needle Assassin."
Lin Ming glared at the three disciples mocking him. They were weaker than him in cultivation, yet bold enough to insult him because the Sect Master had reprimanded him.
"You’re courting death?"
He gripped his knife tightly, pointing it at them.
"I’m sure the Sect Master won’t miss a trio of useless flesh bags. We could use your organs for pills. Maybe then you’d be more useful."
"Eek!"
"S-Sorry..."
"We didn’t an it..."
Feeling his powerful Aura, they quickly backed away, too afraid to provoke a fight.
They had secretly hoped his cultivation had been crippled.
Sotis, righteous cultivators spared enemies but crippled their cultivation.
But Jonathan had done no such thing.
If anything, Lin Ming felt more vigorous and fuller of stamina than ever before.
"If you want to spare your lives, give half of your Ki Beads."
"W-What?!"
"Senior, this is abuse...!"
"We’ll tell the Elders..."
"And what will the Elders say? They’ll laugh at you."
The trio sighed and opened their bags, handing over around fifteen white-colored beads each.
It was less than half their savings, but Lin Ming didn’t press further and let them go.
Any other cultivator at his level would have slaughtered them on the spot for such disrespect.
He was indeed... kinder than he wanted to be.
Despite everything.
Like he said—
"Kindness is in everyone’s hearts."
Lin Ming sighed, walking back toward the cave, when he noticed a pair of red eyes approaching.
A powerful, oppressive presence drew near.
A woman with short white hair, sharp red eyes, and a third purple eye on her forehead appeared.
Wearing tight black leather pants and a white blouse, she held a small red bottle in her hands.
"The Poison Needle Assassin, Lin Ming, correct?"
"...A vampire?"
"We consider your sect one of our greatest allies."
"..."
"Not very talkative, huh? That seems to be the norm around here."
The woman, much taller than him, walked forward with a seductive presence, offering him the small bottle.
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