Chapter 4: Partners? Section 5

It was already the second time someone had approached him unnoticed. Black Hair couldn’t help but frown and turned to look at the uninvited guest.
It was a young man in his twenties, with deep purple hair. Of average height with a well-proportioned build. His fitted hunting attire made him look very stylish. Perhaps due to a lack of sunlight, his skin had a sickly pale hue, which, combined with his blood-red eyes, gave him an eerie appearance.
Wait… blood-red eyes…
A slight shock ran through him, and Black Hair immediately realized who the other man was. The behavior of the girl beside him further confirmed his guess.
“Oh… Mr. Blood Eyes!” the girl exclaimed in surprise, covering her mouth with her hand, her face showing a hint of panic.
Black Hair waved his hand to stop her from speaking. He studied Black Hair with an interested gaze. In silence, the two seemed to share some unspoken understanding; neither spoke. Both had cold eyes and a calm, silent demeanor. For a moment, the girl even thought she saw twin brothers.
However, Black Hair always wore a gentle smile, making him seem approachable, while Blood Eyes remained utterly cold.
“This is my seat,” Blood Eyes finally said after observing Black Hair.
“I know,” Black Hair nodded, showing no intention of leaving. Instead, he gestured to the seat across from him as if he were the host. “Please, have a seat.”
Blood Eyes was taken aback. He clearly hadn’t expected Black Hair to ignore his icy menace. Though surprised, he soon wore a faint smile. He sat down across from Black Hair, right next to the girl. “Interesting. In Berin, you’re the first person who isn’t afraid of me.”
“Is there any reason to be afraid?” Black Hair countered, waving his hand to call over a waiter. “How about a glass of red wine? The wine here is quite good.”
“No, please give me a glass of water,” Blood Eyes replied. Only after the waiter left did he look up again and study Black Hair carefully.
“You’re a very special person. My instincts tell me not to provoke you. So, stranger, may I ask what brings you here? Or rather, since you’re sitting in my seat, do you want me to do something for you?”

Blood Pupil’s voice was cold. Even though he had a special admiration for this dark-haired stranger before him, it didn’t affect his icy demeanor at all. For a killer accustomed to operating in the darkness, even the most admirable person could become a target at some point. So he waited, waiting for the dark-haired man to reveal his purpose.

Perhaps he was a fellow killer… Blood Pupil thought subconsciously, and this idea made his heart pound. His pupils contracted involuntarily.

“No, Mr. Blood Pupil. You might be misunderstanding. To me, your value is far less than that of the young lady beside you. If possible, I’d like to hire her as my guide. But obviously, there are some difficulties involved. The term ‘Black Gold’ you mentioned has piqued my interest.” To Blood Pupil’s surprise, the dark-haired man didn’t answer directly but shifted the topic to the girl. His casual indifference only made Blood Pupil feel extremely frustrated.

When had Berin’s best killer, the great Night Walker Blood Pupil, become less valuable than a mere girl? Did this dark-haired stranger really know who he was talking to? If it weren’t for concern over his own reputation, Blood Pupil would have dragged this ignorant fool to the underground arena right away to show him what battle meant, what slaughter meant, and what blood glory was.

But now, he could only respond to the dark-haired man’s question in frustration.

“Black Gold is the name of a major local merchant guild. It controls a vast arms sales network. If you frequent the black market, you must be familiar with this name. This girl is named Sulei; she’s the daughter of a prominent lawyer in this city. Her father offended Black Gold over a lawsuit, resulting in their family’s ruin. She herself owes a huge debt of five hundred thousand kari. Ironically, the creditor of this debt is also Black Gold.”

Blood Pupil’s tone was calm, as if he were talking about something ordinary. Meanwhile, the girl Sulei beside him already had red eyes, struggling hard not to shed a tear.

The dark-haired man noticed that as Blood Pupil spoke, a dark current seemed to surge through the bar. Many customers quickly paid and left, and one after another, some clearly unfriendly individuals came in and sat down around them. Unnoticed, they gradually surrounded their table.

Gently picking up the red wine on the table, he poured himself a glass. There was no trace of surprise on his dark-haired face. He merely gave a brief glance at Blood Pupil across from him, with a slight smirk on his lips.
It was hard to tell, but this Blood Pupil seemed to be a killer with a strong sense of justice. Though he appeared indifferent on the surface, his words inadvertently revealed dissatisfaction with Heijin. And those guys around might well be spies Heijin had placed around Sulei.
Perhaps this little girl was indeed not an ordinary character…
“Do you have two cardis?” Suddenly, the dark-haired man asked the girl Sulei.
“Ah!? Yes.” She was stunned; she didn’t understand what he meant, but she replied instinctively.
“Give them to me.” His tone left no room for refusal. After taking the two cardis from her, he suddenly gave a strange smile.
“Alright, the employment agreement is in place. As a wandering mercenary, I accept your commission. I will protect your safety throughout your role as my guide.” With that, he took out a crystal card from his pocket and threw it to the girl. “This is five thousand cardis as your payment for acting as my guide and secretary. Please accept it.”
Ah!? The girl was shocked by his strange behavior. She didn’t know what to say, holding the crystal card he had thrown at her in a daze, her breathing even stopping. On the other hand, Blood Pupil, upon seeing his actions, suddenly showed great interest. His eyes, which had been squinted shut, now were fully open.
“Ding!”
One cardi flew out of the dark-haired man’s hand, tracing a beautiful arc in the air before landing on the table in front of Blood Pupil, spinning rapidly and refusing to stop.
“You’re Killer Blood Pupil, right? I’m formally submitting a job offer to you. Please act as Sulei’s bodyguard. The payment is one cardi per month for half a year. No room for negotiation. Do you accept?”
With a gentle smile, he threw another bombshell.