Beloved

After injecting the serum, Shirley's figure moved through the darkness like a ghost.

Her hands curled into claws, sharp as blades, slashing through the air.

Two martial artists were killed in an instant, shocking everyone present.

Boss Nie's eyes gleamed with greed.

His years of relentless research had not been in vain.

The power of this serum was terrifying!

It had instantly elevated Shirley, a martial artist at the Hua Jin level, to the strength of the Xu Jin realm!

"Let me handle her!"

A Hua Jin martial artist stepped forward, roaring as he charged.

His fists clenched, he lunged at Shirley with thunderous force, holding nothing back.

"Hold back, you fool!"

Elder Qian sighed in exasperation.

"This woman is still Boss Nie's wife—you can't actually kill her!"

Rip!

Blood sprayed from the Hua Jin martial artist's back as Shirley's claws pierced straight through his heart.

Staggering backward, the man swayed before collapsing to the ground with a heavy thud.

The earth beneath him darkened with blood.

The scene sent a wave of shock through the gathered martial artists.

Meanwhile, the captured assassins of Heaven's Gate erupted in cheers.

"Incredible! This must be the hidden assassin the Boss mentioned!"

"Tch! So what if he was Hua Jin? Taken out in one move!"

Seeing their comrade fall, the security guards burned with fury.

"Witch!"

Elder Qian, clad in a blue security uniform, narrowed his eyes. A string of large copper coins materialized in his hand, and with a flick of his wrist, they formed a sword.

Faint golden light shimmered along its length.

"Be careful! That old man is Taoist Baiyun—the White Cloud Thief from the Dao Alliance!"

The restrained SS-rank assassin, Spear, struggled to warn.

Shirley's eyes flickered with caution.

This gatekeeper, Elder Qian, was actually Taoist Baiyun—a top-fifty fighter on the Heavenly Rankings!

Elder Qian's expression turned icy as he formed a Daoist seal. Golden light surged along the copper coin sword.

In an instant—

He appeared behind Shirley, thrusting the sword downward.

Though the blade seemed blunt, it now cut like a razor, its shadow flashing relentlessly!

Rip!

Shirley's back split open, blood splattering as the sword struck.

Swish!

Swish!

Swish!

The copper coin sword lashed out like a storm, leaving bloody gashes across her body.

Yet, it was clear—Taoist Baiyun wasn't aiming to kill.

Otherwise, his strikes would have targeted vital points, not just superficial wounds.

"Young lady, you're no match for me. Surrender now," Taoist Baiyun said calmly, sheathing his sword.

Shirley flicked the blood from her hands and slowly rose, sneering.

"Old man, where do you get your confidence?"

Only then did Taoist Baiyun realize something was wrong. He glanced down—and his face paled in horror.

A gaping hole had been torn through his chest!

"Looking for your heart?" Shirley smirked, holding up the organ in her palm.

Crunch.

Flesh crumbled, dark red blood dripping down her porcelain-white arm.

"I... I..."

Taoist Baiyun's eyes bulged in disbelief. After a few weak struggles, he collapsed, lifeless.

The copper coin sword clattered to the ground.

Shirley's lips curled into a cold smile.

"You could have killed me, but you held back. What a waste of decades of life—did I ever say I'd spare you?"

Taoist Baiyun was a true Xu Jin realm master.

Shirley's strength was only borrowed from the serum.

In a fair fight, her chances of winning wouldn't have exceeded thirty percent.

But Taoist Baiyun had chosen to show off his footwork instead of going for the kill.

And so, his departure had been... swift.

"Nie Chengwen... You're next."

Shirley stared at Boss Nie, her beautiful eyes brimming with terrifying killing intent.

Boss Nie remained utterly unshaken, meeting her gaze head-on as he said calmly, "I'm right here. Kill me if you want."

"You think I won't?!"

A ruthless glint flashed in Shirley's eyes as she lunged forward like lightning.

Her sharp hand clamped around Boss Nie's throat, lifting him off the ground.

Choked and in pain, Boss Nie showed not a trace of panic in his eyes.

Her arm trembled, but after a long moment, she still didn’t tighten her grip.

Plop.

Tears streamed down her face.

Shirley’s delicate hand remained around Boss Nie’s throat, yet she couldn’t bring herself to finish him.

"You’ve got it all figured out, don’t you, Nie Chengwen?"

Shirley raised her head, her face twisted with hatred as she glared at Boss Nie.

She couldn’t do it—six years of living side by side.

She couldn’t bring herself to kill the man she had once loved deeply.

More importantly, she didn’t want her child to grow up without a father.

In the end, she slowly released Boss Nie, shoving him aside.

Cough! Cough!

Boss Nie gasped violently for air.

Only when fresh oxygen flooded his lungs did he feel alive again.

"An assassin should never let emotions cloud judgment. You’ve broken the cardinal rule," Boss Nie said with a faint smirk.

"Next time we meet, I won’t hold back!"

Shirley turned away, moving to untie the other assassins, including Thorn.

"Hey, are you really letting him go? That guy’s dangerous!" Thorn couldn’t help but protest.

Bang!

A gunshot tore through the silence.

A flash of fire lit up the darkness, brilliant as sparks from steel.

A spray of blood blossomed from Shirley’s back.

Her body stiffened. Trembling, she turned around, her eyes wide with disbelief.

The one who had shot her from behind was none other than Boss Nie.

The gun in his hand was an unusual silver pistol, its power leagues beyond an ordinary firearm.

Normal guns could hardly threaten a martial artist at the Xujin level.

"You—"

Shirley’s lips parted, but before she could speak—

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three more shots rang out.

Bullets tore through Shirley’s limbs—both legs shattered, one arm mangled beyond recognition.

Thud.

Her mutilated body collapsed to the ground, her gaze locked onto Boss Nie with unyielding intensity.

Though her limbs were destroyed, the pain in her heart was far worse than any physical agony.

She had never imagined that the man she had spent six years with would pull the trigger on her.

Boss Nie walked over, crouched down, and lifted Shirley’s chin with his fingers.

Even covered in blood, she still carried a tragic, haunting beauty.

"I told you—if you’re an assassin, don’t get attached. Remember your original purpose. You were always meant to kill me," Boss Nie murmured, his voice devoid of emotion.

Shirley said nothing, her eyes burning with fury.

"Boy or girl?"

Boss Nie’s gaze dropped to Shirley’s slightly rounded abdomen.

"A... a boy," Shirley whispered, her expression pleading.

This was her flesh and blood. She wanted to live. She wanted to bring this child into the world.

Boss Nie sighed, a trace of melancholy crossing his face. "A boy... It’s rare for you to conceive at all. Our bloodline has always struggled to reproduce."

Shirley’s eyes widened in sudden horror.

A terrible realization struck her.

"I remember Qing Lan always begged for a little brother when she was young. Who would’ve thought... Hah. Life is unpredictable."

Boss Nie gave a faint smile, then raised his pistol, aiming it squarely at Shirley’s forehead.

"You—"

Fear flashed in Shirley’s eyes.

Bang!

The bullet tore through, a streak of blood bursting from the back of her head.

Shirley collapsed, her eyes wide with unspoken anguish.

A single tear trailed down her cheek.

"Goodbye, Shirley. You’ll always be the one I loved most."

Boss Nie spoke slowly, his voice tender.